A west Dublin criminal gang is believed to have been behind a raid on a hotel in Co Kildare early yesterday in which two unarmed gardaí were confronted by an armed gang.
Senior Garda sources last night told The Irish Timesthere was no IRA or paramilitary involvement in the robbery, as had been suggested in some reports.
Four men, wearing balaclavas and armed with three shotguns and a sledgehammer, entered the Clanard Court Hotel outside Athy at about 2.30am.
The night porter, a local man in his 30s, alerted gardaí immediately when he spotted the raiders in the car park. He then left the lobby area, locking the door of the hotel. The gang forced the door open with a crowbar.
Two gardaí were on the scene within seven minutes. The raiders pointed their guns at them and forced them to hand over the keys of their Garda car.
The gang then left the scene with the keys and about €150 in hotel petty cash.
The getaway vehicle, a red SUV which had earlier been stolen in Athy, was later found abandoned with the engine running in a field about 1½km from the hotel.
The Garda investigation into the robbery is expected to focus on criminals in west Dublin and in the southwest of the country. Gardaí are following a definite line of inquiry.
Hotel manager Owen McGee said the hotel had enhanced its security measures following recent incidents. "The night porter has to be congratulated. He contacted the guards within two to three minutes. As part of our system of procedures, we encourage our staff not to confront raiders or get brave."
About 40 guests were in the 38 bedroom boutique hotel at the time. It was opened 2½ years ago and is owned by the Fennin family.
Joint owner Mary Fennin-Byrne said the response to the raid showed the importance of having up-to-date security arrangements.
"It is important to make sure that everybody is aware of them and your night staff know what protocols to take with it. We drum it in. We would never falter on security," she said.
The raid is the latest in a number of hotel robberies carried out in the last six months in the east Leinster area.
However, gardaí believe the robberies were carried out by a number of gangs and that most are not linked. They believe yesterday's raid could be linked to a similar robbery in Kildare three weeks ago, which was the only one of the recent hotel robberies involving the use of a firearm.
On that occasion, armed raiders held guests and the night porter at gunpoint at the Stand House Hotel in the Curragh before making off with cash and property belonging to guests.
In September, staff at two hotels were held up in Kilkenny city within half an hour of each other. The gang involved was also believed to have been behind a later raid on a cash point at a petrol station.
In July, masked intruders held up six members of staff of the Mount Wolseley Hotel in Tullow, Co Carlow, and made off with a quantity of cash.
In July, a gang raided the Carlton Abbey Hotel in Athy and prior to that a similar raid occurred at the Carlton Millrace Hotel in Bunclody, Co Wexford.