Garda shot at by Tipp rural crime gang

A Garda was shot at last night while pursuing a criminal gang believed to be involved in a spate of burglaries in Tipperary.

The gang was being pursued in Co Kildare by Gardaí as fears mount for rural communities in the wake of the attack on an elderly man on the Tipp/Offaly border over the weekend.

In last nights incident, the Detective Garda escaped serious injury after a shot was fired over his head during a pursuit of the gang across Co Kildare.

The Audi estate car – with a partial registration of 151 G – was suspected of being involved in a number of burglaries in Tipperary. One raid in New Inn in Tipperary saw a high-powered vehicle and a gun safe with three firearms in it stolen.

The incident unfolded after the Audi was spotted by Gardaí around the Monasterevin area of Kildare at around 9.30pm last night.

A number of people are now in custody in relation to the shooting.

It follows the brutal attack on Richie McElvey who lived alone in Brosna on the Tipp/Offaly border.

The 54-year-old farmer was dragged from his bed and beaten by a gang at 2am on Saturday.

Speaking on Tipp Today, Local Councillor and Renua Leader John Leahy says there was no sense to the violence used on Richie:

While local Fianna Fáil Councillor Peter Ormonde says Gardaí need to be given more resources to fight rural crime:

In light of the Brosna attack, there are now calls for more to be done to protect rural communities living close to the motorway network.

Robert O’Shea from the Save Our Community group, a group which was set up following a spate of burglaries in the Littleton area, says that these gangs can only operate with local knowledge: