Four men have appeared in court charged with possession of firearms and ammunition in Clara, Co Offaly in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

The men, who are originally from Brazil, each face a further charge of breaching COVID-19 restrictions.

Just after midnight on Wednesday, Gardaí stopped two cars travelling in convoy on River Street in Clara.

A sawn off shot gun, a loaded sub machine gun and rounds of ammunition were found in one of the vehicles.

The court heard that the seizure is related to an ongoing feud between two families in Tullamore relating to the sale and supply of drugs - and that Gardaí believe the men were travelling to an address in Tullamore at the time.

Two of the men - 34-year-old Jefferson Dos Santos with an address in Ballymahon, Co Longford and 29-year-old Ildomar Cabrar De Silva of no fixed abode - did not apply for bail.

23-yea-old Hugo Rodrigues of Ballymahon, Co Longford and 36-year-Sergio Machada Filho with an address at Temple Bar in Dublin both made bail applications.

The judge asked whether Mr Filho had been tested for COVID-19, after it emerged he was brought to hospital last night with respiratory difficulties and continued to cough in court.

Gardaí successfully objected to the bail on a number of grounds, including the seriousness of the charge.

All four men have been remanded in custody to appear before Cloverhill District Court next Wednesday.

Reporting by: Kacey O'Riordan