Three elderly pensioners are recovering in hospital after they were tied up and assaulted at their home in Co Limerick late last night.
Willie Creed (74) and his sisters Nora (72) and Chrissie (66) Creed were attacked at their home in Ballyluddy, near the village of Pallasgreen by two men armed with knives and a make shift sword.
The intruders who were wearing ski masks were armed with two knives and a home made implement which gardaí believe was a sword.
They used cable ties to tie up Mr Creed and his two sisters before ransacking the house.
The siblings remained tied up for over two and a half hours before they managed to alert their brother Tommy who came to their rescue at 12.30am.
The elderly victims were extremely traumatised by their ordeal, according to gardai.
All three suffered cuts to their hands and heads and were brought to the Mid Western Regional Hospital where their condition was described as stable.