A man is due before a special court sitting this morning following an incident where three people were held at gunpoint outside a house in Co Clare.
One man was treated in hospital after he was struck in the face with the stock of a shotgun which was also discharged during a struggle.
The drama began at around 5.30pm at the home of an elderly retired solicitor at Donnybrook, Deerpark between Sixmilebridge and Shannon.
A man in his early 50’s and wearing a balaclava walked up the driveway of the period property brandishing a shotgun.
The gunman encountered a man (67) doing some work in the garden and held him at gunpoint. The gunman had attempted to enter the house however the gardener did not have keys.
The owner of the house, Mr Patsy Glynn, was inside the property but unaware of what was happening outside. Mr Glynn’s wife was away for the day.
After a time, the daughter of the gardener and her partner arrived at the house and were also confronted by the gunman.
As time went on, the three hostages offered the gunman cash and mobile phones but he wouldn’t leave the scene.
After being held for almost 90 minutes an attempt was made to overpower the gunman. During the struggle the younger man was struck with the stock of the gun which also discharged however no one sustained any injuries as a result of the blast.
After subduing the man and removing the gun from him, the terrified trio managed to raise the alarm and restrain the suspect until uniformed gardaí and armed detectives from Shannon arrived at the scene.
The man was arrested and taken to Shannon Garda station where he is being detained under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act.
The injured man was taken to hospital for treatment but was not seriously injured. His girlfriend and her father were unharmed but left shaken.
Gardaí believe the gunman had intended robbing the property however its not clear how the man travelled to the area as no vehicle was found. Its believed the man may have travelled by taxi.
It’s also believed the suspect worked as a farm labourer in Co Limerick but is originally from Kerry. Its understood he was not previously known to gardaí leaving investigating offers and locals surprised by his actions.
The scene was preserved and examined by technical experts while the garda investigation is continuing.
Local Councillor Alan O’Callaghan, who met with the unnamed gardener said: “It was a terrifying ordeal for everyone. He told me every minute was like an hour and it went on forever. It must be an awful frightening thing to turn around and seen someone in a balaclava pointing a gun at you.”
Anyone with information about the incident or who witnessed anything suspicious in the Deerpark area is asked to contact gardaí at Shannon on 061 365900.
The man is due before a special sitting of Ennis District Court at 10 o’clock this morning.