The inquest into the deaths of two post office raiders shot by an armed garda in County Dublin two years ago, heard today of unsuccessful attempts to prevent the robbery.

A second garda witness is giving evidence today at the inquest into the deaths of two raiders who were shot dead by armed Gardai during a post office raid in Dublin more than two years ago.

Harrowing scenes of a double shooting in a foiled post office robbery were played at an inquest today.

Gardaí will give evidence from behind a screen during the inquest of two men shot dead by officers during a post office robbery, it emerged today.

Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy has mounted a strong defence of the gardaí who killed two post office raiders in Lusk, Co Dublin, last week.

The Irish Postmasters' Union is calling for 24-hour security cameras to be installed in every post office in the country.

The Labour Party has backed calls for an independent inquiry into the shooting dead of two post office raiders by gardaí in north Co Dublin yesterday.

Amnesty International is demanding an independent investigation into the killing of two post office raiders by Gardaí in Co Dublin yesterday morning.

Amnesty International tonight called for an independent inquiry into the killing of two armed robbers in a quiet Irish village as Bertie Ahern backed the gardaí involved.

The Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has said he believes the gardaí who shot dead two armed raiders in north Co Dublin this morning had no other option.

A second man has died after being shot by gardaí during an attempted armed robbery at a post office in north Co Dublin this morning.

A man shot dead in a failed post office raid in north Co Dublin early today was in his 40s and known to gardaí. He had been involved in previous armed robberies.

Reports are coming in of a fatal shooting during an armed raid on a post office in Lusk, in north Co Dublin.