Pharmacy staff ordeal in armed Cashel siege

Four staff members of a Cashel pharmacy had a terrifying experience Tuesday last, when they were held in their workplace by an armed man for over two hours, while gardai surrounded the building.

According to gardai an imitation firearm was recovered from the premises, when the standoff ended.

A taser was used in the arrest of the man, who is described by gardai as being in his early 20s. They also confirmed he was “unlawfully at large” at the time.

The armed standoff ended peacefully, with the man being arrested by gardai. Noone was physically injured in the incident.

The standoff began just after 10am on Tuesday morning when the man, who was believed to be armed, entered O’Dwyer’s Pharmacy, on Ladyswell Street. The four staff members inside at the time were not allowed to leave until the incident came to an end at 12.20pm.

Gardai were alerted to the raid and members of the Regional Support Unit accompanied by trained negotiators rushed to the scene. They were joined by gardai from Cashel, Clonmel and Thurles garda stations.

The young man made an appearance before Cahir District Court later on Tuesday in connection to an unrelated incident.