Gardaí investigating organised criminal activity in the Clare area recovered what they believe to be a home-made rocket launcher as well as weapons and ammunition during a planned search of a wooded area in the county yesterday.
Gardaí confirmed they carried out the search at Cratloe Woods, a popular beauty spot a short distance from Limerick city.
During the operation, which lasted several hours, gardaí recovered a small quantity of explosives, several firearms, ammunition and "other items".
The 15-member search team, comprising armed detectives and officers from the Clare Divisional Search Unit, discovered two shotguns, four revolvers and three rifles, as well as the home-made rocket launcher.
Some explosives were also recovered, but a Garda spokesman said the quantity was "small". The items were discovered in several different locations over a wide area in Cratloe Woods.
The scene was sealed off and the Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal team was called in to make the items safe. The cache will be sent to Garda headquarters in the Phoenix Park, Dublin for more detailed analysis.
The Garda spokesman confirmed no arrests were made.