THE Clare pensioner robbed in his isolated farmhouse on Wednesday described his ordeal yesterday. Mr Patrick Skehan (87), who lives alone, said he was in the kitchen of his home, about a mile from Kilkishen village, at around 6 p.m. that evening when three masked men broke down the front door.
One man stood guard while the others ransacked the rooms. When they found £200 they demanded more money and searched Mr Skehan's pockets before tying him up.
"They weren't out to hurt me," he said, "though when I told them that they had my hands tied too tight, they told me to shut up or they'd tie them tighter.
"They liked me because I kept my mouth shut. They left me alone when I gave them quietness to work," he added.
Before leaving, the gang cut the telephone line to the house. A female accomplice drove the men away in a grey Rover car, which was later recovered by gardai.
Within half an hour of the raiders escaping, Mr Skehan was discovered by his daughter in law, who had arrived to deliver his dinner. Mr Skehan described the moment he saw her. "I shouted to her `I've been robbed. You might come here and untie these few knots'," he said.
The elderly farmer was clearly shaken but defiant about the incident. "I'm not shocked by it at all," he said. "I would have got my shotgun at them if I could, but they got to it before me.
Supt Sean Corcoran, who is leading the investigation, said gardai are following a definite line of inquiry. "We expect to make arrests some time next week".