GARDAI investigating a raid on the home of a widow in the Roscommon administrative area at the weekend are examining whether it was the work of a gang which attacked two elderly people 10 miles away more than a week ago.
The 70 year old woman was locked into a bedroom in the single storey cottage by tour men wearing balaclavas, who threatened her with knives and cut her telephone wire.
The raiders forced their way into the remote house, about 1 1/2 miles from Dysart, Ballinasloe Co Galway, at about 9.30 p.m. on Saturday. They ransacked the house before escaping in the woman's car with a small amount of cash.
The woman broke her wrist when she climbed through the bedroom window to raise the alarm at the house of her son, who lives next door. Gardai recovered the car about an hour later, 10 miles away in Monksland outside Athlone, Co Westmeath.
The woman was recovering in Merlin Park Hospital, Galway, yesterday. Her daughter in law said the family did not wish to talk about the attack.
Gardai began house to house inquiries in the area yesterday.
The earlier attack was on a 68 year old woman and her brother (81) at their home in Monksland nine days ago.
The woman was punched in the face by four masked men who forced their way into the house at 2.30 a.m. They tied up the sister and brother and, forcing them to reveal the whereabouts of their savings, left with a substantial amount of money. The woman freed herself more than six hours later and raised the alarm.
Sgt John Freeley, of Roscommon Garda station, said he was keeping an open mind on whether the same gang which raided the woman's home was responsible for the Monksland attack.
"The pattern is very similar but we can't say it's the same people involved," he said.
"We're putting what resources we can into it because we would regard it as a very, very serious crime to attack old people in their homes like this."
Muintir na Tire, which promotes community development, said it "abhorred" the weekend assault.
"We would deplore any elderly person being violated at home. They should be entitled to live in their houses in peace without any interference and without being preyed upon by vicious gangs or people looking fir money," said the organisation's president, Mr Jim Quigley.
Mr Quigley repeated his movement's call for a task force to examine the possibility of allowing old people to invest up to £10,000 in a financial institution tax free and without losing pension, social security or medicalcard entitlements.
"If that was done and if there was a drive for any money kept at home to be taken away, it would have big implications for the peace of mind of these elderly people," he said.
This call was echoed by Fianna Fail last week after a second attack on two elderly brothers in Co Wicklow.