The dangers of ignoring the “new poor” have been highlighted by the Society of the St Vincent de Paul which has warned that the current homelessness crisis is being accompanied by a “hidden” crisis of those on the brink of losing their lodgings.

Cork publicans are coming together to organise a special fundraiser for St Vincent de Paul in the run-up to Christmas with the aim of collecting at least €50,000. 

A father-of-four whose family were threatened at gunpoint by four masked men has described the lack of Garda resources in parts of rural Co Limerick as "appalling".

The Ballyfermot/Tipperary gang, one of the most dangerous in the country, struck the Garvey home in Pallasgreen, Co Limerick on April 16, 2012.

Gardaí have discovered that a violent criminal gang, whose leaders are based in Ballyfermot, Dublin and Tipperary, hold detailed intelligence data on business people living in counties Cork, Tipperary and Limerick identified as potential burglary/tiger kidnap targets.

President Michael D Higgins was visibly moved yesterday when he met Jessica McNamara, whose home was devastated by recent Limerick flooding.

A businessman whose family were held hostage while their Co Limerick home was robbed has said that his children remain very frightened since the incident on Monday night.

A father was handcuffed and had a sawn-off shotgun pressed against his temple by a gang of robbers who coerced his wife and children to open a safe and hand over their savings.

Two members of a highly dangerous gang were being held by gardaí last night after a horror attack on a family during which a teenage girl watched as a sawn-off shotgun was put to the head of her father after he was handcuffed and knocked to the ground.