Six men from the Dundalk and north Louth area are expected before the Special Criminal Court in Dublin on firearms charges associated with the activities of the "Real IRA".
The men were arrested in a house in the Nicholas Street area of Dundalk on Saturday night.
It is understood the gang was assembled after a burglary at the home of the mother of a prominent dissident republican figure in Dundalk. It is understood the burglary was on the home of a relative of one of the men arrested by the gardaí.
It is understood local gardaí received information about the gang's meeting and an operation was mounted around the house in Nicholas Street around 8.30 p.m. on Saturday. Six men were arrested inside the house when armed gardaí, including members of the Emergency Response Unit, forced their way into the house. They found a pistol, a sawn-off shotgun, bars and clubs.
The men were separated and taken to Balbriggan, Ashbourne and Navan Garda stations for questioning.
A seventh man, arrested in a van parked outside the house, was released from Dundalk Garda station last night and a file is being submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions.