‘It isn’t in his character to do this’

GARDAÍ last night managed to overpower a 39-year-old man who had locked himself in his house with two loaded shotguns in Gort, Co Galway.

Shortly before 8.20pm, the man left the house in the Crowe Street area and a number of shots were reported to have been fired.

Gardaí managed to disable the man, who was then rushed to hospital for treatment.

The drama started late on Sunday night when several shots were discharged.

Throughout yesterday, the man, named locally as Anthony Burke, refused to talk to negotiators, but he relented just before 6pm. The talks had broken down again by 8pm.

Burke was said to be a skilled clay pigeon shooter, neighbours said. He had been working on a construction job in Kilrush, Co Clare, but there was no known motive for his behaviour. However, neighbours said that the man’s father had died a few weeks ago, which had obviously upset him.

Trained negotiators, backed up by more than 50 officers involved with the garda emergency response unit, began discussions with the man following a day-long stand-off.

Gardaí, backed up by the air support unit, made a public appeal to him to make contact with them. The man’s solicitor was on hand, along with a full range of support services, which also included doctors, priests and psychologists.

The drama began around 11.20pm on Sunday night when the man’s partner, named locally as Mags Corless, sought refuge in a neighbour’s house in Crowe Street. Ms Corless has three children, the youngest of whom is a five-month-old baby, and Burke owns the family home in Crowe Street, which was purchased from the local authority.

Gardaí say they were called to the scene after shots were fired. Two garda patrol cars were damaged by the shots, while several street lights were knocked out.

Early yesterday the cul-de-sac was cordoned off. Between 6am and 7.30am, neighbours in some 30 houses in the area were evacuated for their own safety and offered temporary accommodation in Sullivan’s Hotel by Galway County Council.

Another 20 houses were evacuated later yesterday afternoon and Galway County Council were making arrangements to find them accommodation.

Speaking earlier, Supt Kevin Donohoe, of the Garda Press Office, said that the gardaí had no intention of making a forced entry and wanted to help resolve any issues that the man might have, which they believed to be minor.

The operation was being handled by Assistant Commissioner Gerry Kelly, Chief Supt Donal O Cualain and Supt Con Cadogan.

Supt Donohoe confirmed that the man was in possession of two legally held shotguns and had fired a number of shots during Sunday night, the last being at about 2.20am.

He confirmed that a couple of patrol cars were hit and street lights damaged, but the man was “reasonably adept” with a firearm and had no intent to target anyone.

The gardaí were satisfied that this behaviour was “out of character”. The man’s family had spoken to him but had not been able to talk to him since early morning. Neighbours who were taken to Sullivan’s Hotel expressed frustration and anger at the situation. They were disrupted around 11.30pm on Sunday night, with what some neighbours believe was a row in Burke’s home.

“It isn’t in his character to do this,” said neighbours Vincent and Betty Counihan. They were aware of events on Sunday night and were asked to leave their home for their own safety at 7.30am yesterday.

Burke’s brother was called and tried to reason with him, one neighbour said. “He left the house very, very angry when shots were fired. The gardaí were called and it was then that the shooting really started,” said the neighbour, who did not wish to be named.