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A giant inflatable Minion flew loose and caused traffic havoc in Santry

No, really.

MOTORISTS IN THE Santry area of north Dublin got a shock this afternoon, as a giant inflatable Minion flew loose of its restraints and tumbled onto the Old Swords Road.

Gardaí had to be called, and the air was let out of the inflatable.

According to a witness, one driver had the wing-mirror knocked off his car. But otherwise there were no injuries.

Here’s how the Minion looked yesterday, as it was being inflated…

And here’s how the incident unfolded today, at around 3pm…

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8 ALL PHOTOS: Erin Van Londen ALL PHOTOS: Erin Van Londen

"I'm not sure how it got loose but I just saw it coming loose and flying across the road as we were driving," Erin Van Londen, from Portmarnock, said.

"It's been very windy in the area."

A motorist's wing mirror was damaged by the escaped inflatable, and the incident caused traffic problems for some time before it was deflated and taken away.

"I actually rang the gardaí. It was quite an odd thing to have to report," Erin said.

They came and sorted it all out. They deflated it on the road and then they ended up having to get a wheelbarrow to get it out of the way.

The Minion, before it was deflated was between "30 and 40 feet" high, she said.

"We got quite a shock. Luckily it didn't seem to cause much damage."

Could it have had more serious consequences?

However, a local councillor warned that the escaped Minion could have had serious consequences.

In a statement this evening, Cllr Paul McCauliffe said he has referred the incident to Dublin City Council's planning enforcement department to investigate if the inflatable Minion was the subject of any planning regulation.

He also wants to find out if the correct health and safety measures were in place.

"Fairground events and festivals are really important in bringing footfall to our city villages but even the smallest events have health and safety conditions," he said.

"I have asked the Council to provide me with a report on the incident and for the operators of the fairground to be interviewed by council officials."

- Additional reporting Aoife Barry

Read: Lucky escape for paraglider who crashed on Waterford mountain

Read: Garda and Coast Guard helicopters rescue two people (and a dog) off Sandymount

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61 Comments
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    Mute David Thompson
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    Apr 24th 2013, 11:09 AM

    My dishwasher is ok, needs an odd roar at her now and again but I dont think she would set fire to anything :-)

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    Mute Brian O'Sullivan
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    Apr 24th 2013, 11:35 AM

    Keep roaring at her, and she might ;-)

    35
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    Mute Brendan Cunningham
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    Apr 24th 2013, 11:58 AM

    Yeah, probably you David.

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    Mute David Thompson
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    Apr 24th 2013, 12:44 PM

    Now now Brendan I hope you arent having mental images of me in one of them aprons that looks like in a semi naked woman :-D

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    Mute Brendan Cunningham
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    Apr 24th 2013, 1:03 PM

    Well I wasn’t….

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    Mute PerkyBeans
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    Apr 24th 2013, 11:18 AM

    It can cook the dinner and wash the plates at the same time.. Nice one

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    Mute James Murphy
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    Apr 24th 2013, 11:15 AM

    Nice, something that has water running through it can catch fire

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    Mute Mark Cullen
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    Apr 24th 2013, 11:33 AM

    When it’s drying the dishes there’s no water running through it.

    13
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    Mute James Murphy
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    Apr 24th 2013, 11:59 AM

    Yeah I do know that. Unfortunately my dishwasher has forgotten how to do that little task

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    Mute Marshmallow O Brien
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    Apr 24th 2013, 11:37 AM

    My dishwasher likes to give out to me for not putting my socks in the wash basket and also likes watching soaps when there is champions league football on.

    No fear of my Dishwasher going on fire !!

    Marshmallow.

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    Mute Martina Lavin
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    Apr 24th 2013, 11:53 AM

    no, there’s a chance she might overheat though! :)

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    Mute Marshmallow O Brien
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    Apr 24th 2013, 11:58 AM

    She hasnt overheated since the wedding night Martina…

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    Mute Martina Lavin
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    Apr 24th 2013, 12:06 PM

    well Marshmallow! your doing something wrong then! you might need to fiddle around with some of the dials and make sure your pressing the start button correctly!! ;)

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    Mute Alan Tully
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    Apr 24th 2013, 11:28 AM

    HOTPOINT …..what a name !

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    Mute Martina Lavin
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    Apr 24th 2013, 11:37 AM

    Cheers for concern but my dishwasher is just fine! it has a tap, a sink and I don’t overheat too much. :)

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    Mute Keith Moran
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    Apr 24th 2013, 12:51 PM

    I had a Hotpoint DWF30 dishwasher a few years ago that went on fire. Thankfully I was there at the time. I noticed the flames inside the panel first, but in the short time it took to pull it out the flames had melted the top away. Guarantee you I wasn’t the only person with this particular model that went on fire. Last resort for these companies is a product recall.

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    Mute Pat O'Leary
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    Oct 20th 2013, 6:13 PM

    The DWF30 has been identified in UK forums as also having this problem – same dodgy printed circuit board fro Bosch.

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    Mute Dave Patrick
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    Apr 24th 2013, 11:24 AM

    This was highlighted on the consumer show two weeks ago!
    Showed the results of dishwasher fire in a woman’s kitchen, catastrophic!

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    Mute Richie Curry
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    Apr 24th 2013, 11:33 AM

    That was BOSCH not hotpoint.

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    Mute Pat O'Leary
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    Oct 20th 2013, 6:17 PM

    BOSCH made dishwashers for Indesit, Hotpoint etc. Also it seems (don’t know for sure) that Hotpoint may have made machines in their own factory in UK but likely used components and the printed circuit board under suspicion from BOSCH.

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    Mute Dave Patrick
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    Apr 24th 2013, 11:49 AM

    I didn’t specify manufacturer, the results of a fire from any dishwasher would be the same!
    Not a nice thing to come home too, if your house has been ruined by an electrical appliance catching fire!
    This information has been given out because of the programme, until it was highlighted the manufactures were not going to issue either a warning notice in the country!

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