Shopkeeper ‘frozen with fear’ by raid in Limerick
Dolores McNamara, proprietor of McNamara’s Shop, Glin, Co Limerick, was chatting to customers on Thursday when a man in dark clothing and armed with a blade ran in and demanded cash from the shop till.
“He was tall and thin and wearing a balaclava. He was dressed all in black. I’d say he was a young man. He was very close up,” said Ms McNamara.
“He ran in and he let shouting ‘give me the money’. I just froze. I never even thought about opening the till. I just stood, frozen.”
Ms McNamara, who runs the shop with her older brother Thomas, both aged in their 50s, said nobody was injured in the incident, which happened around 4pm.
“I wasn’t harmed, but I was sick to my stomach this morning over it. I’m getting over it,” she said.
“I’m a bit shaken alright. I didn’t believe it was happening, I was in shock. It never happened in the shop before.”
Dolores said the local garda was on holidays at the time of the incident, but that, both a uniform and detective unit from nearby Newcastle West responded to the scene.
The armed raider ran from the shop when Thomas McNamara appeared after hearing the masked man shouting.
“He saw my brother and he ran off. I think he thought I was on my own. I was there, my brother was there and a customer was there,” said Ms McNamara.
The man was seen turning right after exiting the shop and running down the main street.
Ms McNamara praised gardaí for their swift response. She also thanked her “good neighbours and friends and local businesses for making sure I’m OK”.
A local source said Ms McNamara’s family were “very popular people” in the village and that “she didn’t deserve this”.
“Dolores and her brother Tom were very lucky they weren’t knifed. Everyone here is checking in on them making sure they are safe,” they added.
Gardaí at Newcastle West confirmed they are investigating the matter.
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