Armed gardaí patrol Limerick village following shooting, arson, and damage to house

David Raleigh

Armed garda patrols have been deployed to the village of Castleconnell, Co Limerick, where a burst of violence saw a gun attack, arson and windows smashed at a home in less than 24 hours.

Gardaí are monitoring a number of individuals in the east Limerick riverside village in an effort to quell rising tensions.

Gardaí said that “a number of shots” were reportedly “fired at a residential property in the Scanlon Park area” around 5:40pm, Saturday, August 9th.

“No injuries have been reported, the scene was cordoned off for a technical and forensic examination,” gardaí said.

It’s understood a number of males wearing balaclavas were involved in the early evening gun attack.

Less than 24 hours earlier, at around 1:39am, Friday, four masked men armed with hatchets and accelerant set fire to a car and smashed windows at a house at St Patrick’s Villas, Castleconnell.

CCTV footage shared on social media showed that as one of the males entered the curtilage of the property with a hatchet, two of the perpetrators smashed up a car parked outside the house, and the fourth male set the vehicle on fire.

The men then fled in a black coloured car as the occupants of the house emerged from the property.

A female voice can be heard on the footage as the men are carrying out the attack, shouting “what are ye doing...scumbags...f*****g scumbag ya, you’re f*****g dead”.

A male voice is then heard on the recording asking for someone to “ring the fire brigade, Jesus, quick, ring the guards”.

The masked gang’s getaway car was driven by a fifth man.

Gardaí said they were investigating “a report of an incident of criminal damage” after “a vehicle and a domestic residence” were reportedly “damaged”.

No persons were injured.

Gardaí are investigating if the violent incidents are linked.