Three men have been arrested in connection with an aggravated burglary at a hotel in Athy, Co Kildare early yesterday morning.
Four masked raiders - believed to have been armed with hammers - tied up two members of staff, ransacked the reception area and hotel offices and made off with an undisclosed sum of cash.
They made their escape shortly after 7am in a red Peugeot 206, which was stolen from the hotel car park.
At 7:50am, a car believed to have been used in the incident was reported to be on fire on the M7 motorway near the Goffs exit.
In a follow up operation gardaí arrested three men aged 28, 40 and 41 in Kill. They are being detained at Naas garda station.
Gardaí are appealing for witnesses who saw anything at the hotel or near the burned out car to contact them.
