A SHOP manager who was taken at gunpoint as he left a pub and then forced to open the safe in the premises where he worked was recovering from his ordeal yesterday.
Gordon O’Rourke, one of the managers of the shop in Connemara, Co Galway, was tied to a chair as the armed raider made off with a substantial amount of money.
He was forced to get the keys of the shop and post office from his house and then to open the supermarket for the raider on Monday night. Mr O’Rourke, one of the managers of Siopa an Phobail in Inverin, was taken at gunpoint after he emerged from the Poitín Stil pub in the south Connemara village late on Monday evening.
He was forced to drive the short distance to his rented house to get the keys of the supermarket and then to drive the assailant back to the shop, where he was forced to open the safe. Mr O’Rourke’s wife and young child were in the house at the time.
The raider left the premises with a substantial sum of money, believed to be in the tens of thousands.
Mr O’Rourke’s car, a 1994 Dublin-registered black Toyota Starlet, was later found abandoned at Bohoona near An Spidéal, about four kilometres from the shop. Mr O’Rourke was tied to a chair for the duration of the robbery, but managed to free himself at about 2.30am when he raised the alarm.
Gardaí are hoping that CCTV footage of the robbery at the shop and post office can help them to identify the robber.
Superintendent Noel Kelly of the Salthill Garda station appealed for the public’s assistance in tracking the robber.
“We are conducting door-to-door inquiries in the area, trawling through the CCTV footage and are conducting a technical examination of the crime scene. We believe that it was just one person that was involved,” said Supt Kelly.
Local councillor Seán Ó Tuairisg appealed to locals to be vigilant about their property.
“This is a real worry for everyone here in Connemara. It is desperate for the people involved, but it has put a real fear into people in the area,” said Mr Ó Tuairisg.
“What can we do only keep an eye out for anyone strange in the area and report it to the Gardaí. But I don’t know what they could have done in this case.”
Anyone who may have information about the robbery can call Salthill Garda station on 091-514720, the Garda confidential helpline on 1800 666111 or any Garda station.