Family held hostage by gang were wrong target
Four men wearing balaclavas and armed with handguns entered the home of Danny and Miriam O’Connell at Ballingoola, 8km from Bruff in Limerick at around 9.30pm. Two entered by the front door, which was open, and two came in the back door. One of the gang pushed Mr O’Connell, 46, and bound his hands behind his back with cable ties.
They then brought him, along with his wife, Miriam, 40, and their two daughters, aged 9 and 6, and their son, aged 4, to the bathroom of their bungalow where they locked them in.
After about five minutes the gang, who kept asking for a named person who did not live there, left.
Before doing so, one of the gang, who was wearing a hi-vis jacket, went back into the bathroom and untied Danny O’Connell, who is an ESB worker.
When the gang left he shouted out the bathroom window and his cries for help were heard by a neighbour, John Kenny, who came to their rescue and raised the alarm.
The bungalow is on an insolated country road and both families both have lots of relatives living nearby.
Mr O’Connell said yesterday: “I don’t want to talk about it because our children are involved. I don’t want to make any comment. I have to go to the guards now.”
Gardaí got to the scene shortly after 10pm on Wednesday and the house was being forensically examined yesterday.
Local man, Sean Madden, 79, who is an uncle of John Kenny, said: “We are all very shocked. Nothing like this has ever happened around here. It happened so quickly. You don’t know who’s around you these days.”
One of the four raiders spoke with a Northern Ireland accent.
Supt Alan Cunningham of Bruff Garda Station who is heading the investigation said: “At approximately 9.30pm four armed and masked males entered the house and tied up Mr O’Connell before locking them into a bathroom.”
A small quantity of cash was taken from Mr O’Connell’s wallet and the gang left within a few minutes after storming into the house.
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