Three men have been arrested and two are on the run in Co Galway after a couple and their four children were tied up and held at gunpoint at their home last night.
A gang of five armed raiders broke into the home of the businessman at Lackagh-Turloughmore, which is situated between Galway city and Tuam.
Julian Flynn, his wife Emma and their four children were were tied up with cable ties.
Two women neighbours who arrived at the house were also tied up. The home is believed to be situated next door to the family business - a pub, grocery and hardware store.
A member of the family managed to raise the alarm just after the raiders struck and two local gardai arrived at the house within minutes and confronted the gang.
A Garda spokesman said a struggle broke out between the uniformed officers and the raiders as they attempted to escape with a small sum of cash. A garda was hit with a hatchet but it is understood he was not seriously wounded.
One man was arrested at the house, a second man was arrested nearby a short time later and a third man was detained after turning up in University College Hospital Galway seeking treatment for leg injuries. He is under Garda protection in the hospital and his condition is not known but his injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.
The spokesman said detectives and uniformed gardai across Galway were searching for the two remaining gang members who fled the home with a small sum of cash. It is believed they escaped in a dark coloured BMW car.
The family and two neighbours were not physically injured in the raid but it is understood they are badly traumatised.
Mr Flynn told reporters this morning it had been a traumatic night and called for privacy for himself and his family. "We're all fine thank God, everybody's fine, the guards were wonderful they really were super and… we were very well looked after. Last night somebody in heaven was looking down at us," he added.
A search for the remaining raiders is continuing today.