AN Irishman has been attacked and burgled in the early hours of Saturday morning.
A middle-aged man has been left shaken after being beaten and trapped in a shed during a burglary of his home.
According to The Irish Times, the farmer in question was at home when at 2am, four burglars barged into the house of the victim. It is believed the man lives alone in the area of Glasderry beg, Brosna, near the area of Birr, Co. Offaly.
The victim was attacked by the thieves before being forced into his shed, where they locked him in. The farmer managed to somehow escape and made it to a neighbour's house where he told of his ordeal and emergency services were called.
It is reported that this is the second time the Glasderry beg farmhouse has been targeted by thieves, with the most recent burglary escaping with a small sum of money.
Garda Superintendent Martin Cashen in Birr, Co. Offaly asked anyone with information to step forward. He said "we are appealing to farmers, residents and landowners in the Shinrone area to keep a look out for clothing possibly discarded in fields or hedges."
Gardaí have launched an appeal regarding the investigation, with Garda Cashen nothing that "any suspicious persons or vehicles in the Drumakeenan and Glasderry beg areas on the N62 Birr to Roscrea Road that was noticed last night or in the days leading up to the incident... If anything is located please do not touch it and contact Birr Garda station immediately."
Fianna Fáil councillor for the local Birr community admitted the crime came as a shock to the area, adding that the farmer "will be mentally scarred from it."
