Gardaí are searching for two men after a shop assistant was tied up held at gunpoint last night.
The armed raid took place at around 10.00pm at the filling station and shop at Clareabbey near Clarecastle.
Two men wearing dark clothing and carry rucksacks entered the shop as the staff member was closing up.
One of the raiders was brandishing what looked like a black handgun while the second was carrying a nail-bar.
The staff member was tied up before the culprits escaped with an undisclosed sum of money.
Gardaí believed the men spoke with eastern European accents while both are described as being of slim build.
The men left the premises on foot turning right in the direction of the Kildysart Road. Although not injured, the staff member was left shaken by the incident. He was treated at the scene by National Ambulance Service paramedics.
The scene was preserved overnight and a forensic examination was carried out this morning. The shop and filling station remained closed most of the today.
“We are very anxious for any person who may have seen someone or something suspicious in the area between 9.30 and 10.30pm to contact us no matter how small or insignificant they might think it is,” a Garda spokesman said.
Gardaí in Ennis can be contacted on 065 68 48100.