Irish police believe a bomber allegedly blew himself up after he forgot about the clocks changing while he was planting a bomb.

Police are looking to speak with a man who is suspected of planting the bomb in Dublin on Sunday and was left severely injured when the device detonated prematurely.

The device had been attached to a Volvo SUV.

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The man was seen fleeing the scene in Dublin with blood on his face before climbing into a taxi, The Mirror has reported.

According to the paper, a source said that one of the theories being considered by police was that he did not change the time on his watch on Sunday and the timer went off too soon.

Garda police are now appealing for anyone who may have picked up the suspect to contact them.

Supt Dave Taylor said the consequences of the explosion could have been "very, very serious".

"It was a very extensive explosion and it was a very frightening experience for the people," he said.

"We are appealing for anyone who might have picked up a person in the New Street and Clanbrassil Street area shortly after 11pm who was quite obviously suffering to come forward.

"It is quite obvious that the car was the object of this attack.

“We are investigating all the circumstances surrounding that at the moment. It’s very early in the investigation to determine the reason behind it."

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