Garda dies after Laois shooting

A garda has died and another has been injured after a shooting incident at Abbeyleix in Co Laois.

The Garda Commissioner Mr Pat Byrne said at a press conference tonight the only shots fired appeared to have been by armed Garda units.

He said the dead man was part of a surveillance team positioned outside the Allied Irish Bank in the town as part of an operation to catch a Dublin-based criminal gang.

Garda Commissioner Pat Byrne said three cars containing members of the gang arrived outside the AIB bank at around 4.15 pm this afternoon. They were confronted by awaiting gardaí.

"Shots were discharged by a Garda unit resulting in the death of one of colleagues and the injury of another," Commissioner Byrne said.

"We haven't found any other firearms, but we are searching the area."

The dead garda, a married man in his forties, was brought to Portlaoise General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The injured garda is not thought to be seriously hurt.

Four men were arrested at the scene and brought to Abbeyleix station. Two have since been moved to Tullamore and Portlaoise stations. Two of the raiders were injured and are also being treated in hospital in Portlaoise.

Commissioner Byrne said tonight that, in recent months, detectives had been targeting a number of gangs suspected of involvement in armed robberies.

He said he had appointed an Assistant Commissioner to carry out an investigation into the incident.

Gardai are investigating whether the attempted robbery was related to an earlier raid in Urlingford, Co Kilkenny where three masked men robbed a Bank of Ireland at around 2.30pm. They were said to have been armed with a shotgun and knives. A fourth man was waiting outside the bank in a green Mazda 626.

The raiders then made off in the direction of Thurles with a "small amount of cash".