Loaded firearms found by builders at O’Devaney Gardens

Gardaí are examining a cache of loaded firearms after the weapons were found by construction workers at a local authority flats complex in Dublin.

The guns were discovered in the O’Devaney Gardens complex in the north inner city on Tuesday.

The apartments are located close to Garda Headquarters, the Phoenix Park, and the Criminal Courts of Justice.

An assault rifle, a Glock handgun and a revolver were among the weapons found. The alarm was raised when builders working on the flats discovered the guns.

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Gardaí believe the guns had been hidden away by criminal elements, who would have had easy access to them for use.

The complex was one of the most socially deprived in the city and was notorious for drug-dealing.

However, a regeneration project that had been postponed when the economy crashed a decade ago commenced last month.

Most of the near 300 flats have been empty for years.