Men released without charge after questioning about raid on bookmakers

Two men have been released without charge by gardaí after being questioned about a raid on a Cork bookmaker's shop that was foiled by pensioner.

Detectives arrested the two men, aged 34 and 27, in a house in Donoughmore in Mid-Cork on Saturday morning for questioning about the raid on the Bar One Racing Boomakers Shop in Glanmire near Cork city on September 15th 2018.

The raid happened when three masked raiders, armed with hammers and what appeared to be a shotgun, burst into the shop and attacked manager, Tim Murphy and demanded that he open up the shop safe for them.

But local pensioner, Denis O’Connor, who passed away earlier this month at the age of 85, came to Mr Murphy’s aid and tackled one of the raiders and the gang fled the scene empty-handed.

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The entire incident was captured on CCTV and Mr Murphy later went on The Neil Prendeville Show on Cork's Red FM to pay tribute to Mr O'Connor for his courage in coming to his aid and tackling one of the raiders.

A native of Kiskeam in North Cork, Mr O’Connor told The Irish Sun: “I just didn’t think about what I was doing. Sometimes you can just sit down and do nothing or you can stand up to people like these and that’s what I did.”

Gardai issued an appeal for witnesses as they began an investigation and on Saturday, they arrested two men living in a rented house in Donoughmore and brought them to Mayfield Garda Station for questioning.

The two men, who are both originally from Glanmire, were detained under Section 30 of the Offences against the State Act 1939 which allows gardaí hold suspects for up to three days before they have to be charged or released.

But they were released without charge shortly before 9am on Sunday morning and gardaí will now prepare a file on the matter for the DPP, a garda spokesman confirmed.