Two AIB banks targeted in euro raids

Gardaí in Tipperary and Limerick are today investigating the first raids of the euro era on Irish banks.

Gardaí in Tipperary and Limerick are today investigating the first raids of the euro era on Irish banks.

Shortly before 11 a.m. this morning four armed raiders took an undisclosed quantity of euro notes from behind the counter from an AIB branch in the village of Borrisokane, Co Tipperary.

The gang made their getaway in a silver saloon car, thought to be a Volvo, in the direction of Cloughjordan.

None of the bank staff or any of the six customers in the bank at the time were injured in the raid.

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And in what appears to be an unrelated incident, the AIB branch in Castletroy, Limerick city, was raided yesterday evening.

Two masked men, armed with sawn-off shot guns, robbed the bank as the ATM machine was being stocked with euro notes at around 7.30.

The amount of cash taken has not been revealed, in accordance with bank policy. An AIB spokesman added that for security reasons, the bank could not discuss how much money would normally be held in ATMs.

No staff were injured in the raid.

A spokesman for the Gardaí at Henry Street, Limerick, said that no-one has yet been arrested for the crime. He added while the investigation was in its early stages "we are vigorously pursuing it".

Pádraig Collins

Pádraig Collins

Pádraig Collins a contributor to The Irish Times based in Sydney