Two gardaí were held at gunpoint during a robbery in Athy, Co Kildare, last night.
The robbery took place at the Clonard Court Hotel at around 2.30am.
It is understood that four masked men, three armed with shotguns and one with a sledgehammer, entered the hotel.
They were interrupted by two gardaí who arrived on the scene.
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The raiders took the keys of the Garda car and left in a red SUV that had been stolen earlier in Athy.
The vehicle was later found a short distance away in a field off the Dublin road.
A small amount of cash was stolen.