A 31-year-old man shot during a raid on a post office in Kilkenny city this afternoon has died.
He was taken in a critical condition to St Luke's Hospital following the shooting, but later died. The man has been named locally as Alan Cunniffe, who was the local postmaster.
The shooting happened when a man in his 20s entered the post office in John's Green just off John Street at 12.10pm brandishing a hand gun.
Mr Cunniffe was shot after he came out of his family's Centra shop next door to investigate and gave chase as the armed robber fled with a sum of money.
A shot was discharged when Mr Cunniffe caught up with the robber near the landmark Padmore and Barnes shop.
Mr Cunniffe was seriously injured and was taken by ambulance to St Luke's Hospital, where he later died.
A man was arrested a short time later on Wolfe Tone Street, and a firearm and sum of money were recovered, the Garda said. The man is being detained at Kilkenny Garda station.
In a statement from An Post, chair Margaret McGinley and chief executive Donal Connell offered their deepest sympathies to the family and staff of the dead postmaster.
"We are shocked and horrified by the savagery of this criminal act. Postmasters and their staff play an integral role in the lives of Irish people and their safety, and that of our customers, is at all times our primary concern," the statement said.
"A senior An Post team is working closely with gardaí and the post office assistants at the office have received medical attention."
Tánaiste and Minister for Justice Michael McDowell described the killing as the "cowardly, senseless slaying of a decent young man".
Fine Gael's justice spokesman Jim O'Keeffe said he was "sickened" by what he said was the increased targeting of post office staff.
"This is just the latest in a spate of criminal efforts in which innocent post office staff have been targeted. In November there were three attempts to abduct female An Post staff in order to facilitate robberies. This included the abduction of a 62-year-old postmistress from her home in Monkstown," he said.
"The Irish Postmasters' Union is rightly concerned about this trend. Fine Gael believes that Justice Minister Michael McDowell must urgently meet with Communications Minister Noel Dempsey to draft a security strategy for An Post staff, who have suddenly found themselves in the frontline.
"This should include a review of security procedures at An Post and the security facilities currently in place at post offices."
Labour Party communications spokesman Tommy Broughan condemned the shooting dead of the post office worker and extended his sympathy to the man's family.
"This is a shocking incident that illustrates once again the vulnerability of post office workers and others who handle large sums of money on our behalf," he said.
"The loss of this young man's life will be felt all the more by his family and colleagues, coming as it does only a few weeks before Christmas.
"I believe that there is now a need for a full review of security arrangements at all post offices, particular in respect of the weeks coming up to Christmas when larger amounts of money can be carried. I know that the Irish Postmasters' Union has been seeking improvements in security arrangements, but so far there appears to have been little response from the government so far."
Gardaí have appealed for anyone who was in the John's Green or Wolfe Tone area of the city between 12pm and 12.20pm to contact them on 056- 7775067.