Ex-Kilkenny hurler’s wife abducted by tiger raiders
Mary Ronan, the wife of former Kilkenny hurler and Bank of Ireland official Adrian Ronan, was taken from her home 5km outside Kilkenny City shortly after 6am.
Her husband, who works at the Bank of Ireland on Parliament Street in Kilkenny city, was then ordered to go to the bank when it opened where he was to collect a “substantial amount of cash” for the gang.
Supt John Gilligan confirmed last night that “no money had left the bank” and that Ms Ronan was found “safe and well” eight hours after the ordeal began.
“We are treating this as a very serious incident and are looking for at least three people in connection with these events,” said Supt Gilligan.
“A substantial amount of cash was demanded by those who attempted to carry out the robbery,” he said.
Gardaí are investigating if criminals from the south east were behind the heist, which was foiled before the gang managed to take possession of the money.
Mr Ronan was forced to wait in his home at Michael’s Church, Ballycallan, Co Kilkenny, for more than three hours after his wife was taken.
He then went with his three children, all aged under 12 years, to the bank in Kilkenny city.
It is understood that a “substantial amount of cash was organised in the bank” to give to the gang, but that no actual money left the building.
Supt Gilligan confirmed that the gang were armed with at least “one handgun” and that an extensive Garda operation involving local investigators and the national support units were involved in attempting to trace the whereabouts of the gang last night.
Supt Gilligan told a press conference last night that, “some time around 6am a bank official from the Bank of Ireland in Kilkenny was visited at his home by an armed gang”.
“There were three young children in the home when this incident commenced; they were unharmed, but very frightened by what took place.”
“The bank official’s wife was taken to an unknown destination and the official was left with instructions to go to the bank and get money,” he said.
“Shortly after 2pm the bank official’s wife was discovered safe and well at the Weather Station on the Granges Road, close to St Luke’s Hospital in Kilkenny city,” said Supt Gilligan.
It is understood Ms Ronan alerted gardaí to her whereabouts, but it remains unclear how she managed to get away from the raiders.
“She made her own way to safety and made her presence known to gardaí,” explained Supt Gilligan.
Gardaí are appealing to anyone who may have been in the area of the Bank of Ireland or near the Weather Station who noticed anything of any significance to contact them. An incident room has been set up in Kilkenny Garda Station. Contact 056-7775070.
