GARDAÍ ARE questioning two men in connection with the kidnapping of a bank official in Kilkenny city two weeks ago during a botched attempt to rob €3 million from the Bank of Ireland.
Two brothers were arrested in west Dublin on Tuesday night. The men, aged 28 and 36, have addresses in Walkinstown and are known to gardaí.
They are not major gangland figures and at least one of them has a history of drug use.
The men were arrested after telephone records and CCTV footage was studied by the large team of detectives investigating the so- called tiger kidnapping of former Kilkenny hurler Adrian Ronan, his wife Mary and their three children, all aged under 10 years.
The gang broke into the Ronan family home at Ballycallan, Co Kilkenny, at 6.15am on Tuesday, November 3rd.
They took Ms Ronan away at gunpoint and told her husband she would be shot dead unless he went to the bank branch where he worked in Kilkenny city and got €3 million for the gang.
Mr Ronan was given a pay-as- you-go mobile phone by the gang, who contacted him throughout the morning on the phone to relay instructions.
The gang eventually abandoned their plan after Mr Ronan told them by phone that he could only get €200,000.
Ms Ronan was held at an unattended weather station in Kilkenny city.
She was abandoned there by her captor at lunchtime and managed to free herself despite being tied up and gagged.
Her captor had earlier fired a warning shot over her head from a handgun after she had struggled with him.
Gardaí believe the gang abandoned the robbery because by 2pm on the day in question, some eight hours after the robbery attempt began, they were no closer to getting the large sum they were demanding.
Gardaí recovered the pay-as- you-go phone from Mr Ronan. They have examined it and now believe they know where it was bought. Detectives believe the men now being questioned had a role in sourcing the phones.
The suspects are being held at Kilkenny city Garda station. They are being questioned under section 50 of the Offences Against the State Act and can be held for up to seven days without charge.