Three boys escaped uninjured after finding and firing a loaded shotgun at a derelict house in Longford last night.
The eight-year-olds found the weapon in the garden of an abandoned home in Longford town while playing.
One of the youngsters fired the gun. None of the boys were injured.
A Garda spokeswoman said the incident occurred at a property on Palace Crescent in an estate in Longford at about 7.30pm last night.
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It is understood the weapon was a loaded sawn-off shotgun and that it had been stashed in a shed in the garden.
Shotgun cartridges were also recovered from the scene.
The alarm was raised after the weapon was fired, the Garda spokeswoman said.
The gun was seized by local gardaí and will undergo technical examinations.
PA