Gardaí have described as “traumatic” an armed robbery at a shop in Ennis.
Witnesses are being sought after a masked man brandishing a gun, threatened staff at Coote’s Shop on the Kilrush Road, before getting away with a sum of money.
The alarm was raised shortly before four o’clock yesterday evening after a man wearing a mask entered Coote’s Shop on the Kilrush Road in Ennis, carrying a short arm firearm.
There were two staff members in the shop at the time, and the man held a gun to one of them, a father of four, and demanded money from the till.
The man who’s believed to be in his twenties made his escape with a sum of money and headed in the direction of Éire Óg, and the male member of staff sounded the panic alarm and followed him, before losing sight of him near the Rocky Road.
A Garda investigation was launched yesterday evening and a large search operation got underway, involving members of Clare Civil Defence, who used Drones as part of the effort to locate the thief.
No one was injured in the incident and no arrests have yet been made.
Gardaí are urging anyone in the Kilrush Road or Rocky Road areas yesterday evening and may have witnessed suspicious activity to come forward – Superintendent Brendan McDonagh has this appeal:
Shock has been expressed in the surrounding area over the incident.
Local Councillor Pat Daly says incidents like these are unthinkable in a town like Ennis:
Anyone with information on the incident is asked to contact Ennis Garda Station on 065 68 48 100 or the Garda Confidential line 1800 666 111.
