Virginia, County Cavan: Arrests after attempted ATM robbery

A digger remains at the scene in front of a hotel on Main Street in the town of Virginia

Three men have been arrested after an attempted cash machine theft in County Cavan.

A digger remains at the scene in front of a hotel on Main Street in the town of Virginia.

Gardaí (Irish police) said officers attached to Cavan/Monaghan Garda Division, supported by national units, "intervened in an attempted ATM robbery".

It is understood to have happened at about 02:30 local time.

A 28-year-old man was arrested at the scene, while a 61-year-old man was arrested during a follow up operation at a property near Moynalty in County Meath.

During the separate operation, gardaí also uncovered more than €300,000 (£277,108) and removed a number of vehicles for further examination.

Meanwhile a third man, aged 25, who had previously fled the scene, was arrested on Wednesday afternoon at the hotel where the attempted robbery occurred.

There have been more than a dozen cash machine robberies on both sides of the border this year.

In Northern Ireland, police announced in March that they had formed a team of detectives to investigate the raids

Among the incidents in the Republic of Ireland, was the theft of two cash machines containing substantial sums of money in Kells, County Meath, in April.

The machines were ripped from the walls of both the Bank of Ireland and an Allied Irish Bank on John Street, leaving both buildings badly damaged.