Gardaí have discovered a number of guns in Limerick, a development which they regard as a significant breakthrough in their continuing efforts to clamp down on ongoing family feuds in the north side of the city.
A team of about 15 gardaí from Mayorstone located an automatic 9 mm Browning handgun and a top-of-the-range sawn-off shotgun.
The guns were found hidden in undergrowth in an area on the canal bank adjacent to Baals Bridge.
The search was carried out on Wednesday after two men known to the gardaí were found acting suspiciously.
A Garda source said this would be part of their turf and "we decided to move in with a search team".
The guns were found hidden in different locations along the bank of the canal.
The weapons were sent to Dublin for ballistic tests to try and establish if they can be linked to a number of shootings, including the murder of Mr Eddie Ryan in the Moose Bar in Cathedral Place.
There have been 20 shooting incidents in the city since the start of the year.