Galway business owner tells of how ‘brazen’ burglars ransacked shop and stole safe

Tom McHugh, who owns a hardware shop in Kiltevna outside Dunmore explained that thieves stole a safe, a Mitsubishi truck, cash, and goods from the shop floor shortly after midnight on Wednesday, 11 January.

“It was broken into on Wednesday morning. The people who broke in started by cutting the lock on the main gate at the entrance,” he told Galway Bay FM.

“They then proceeded to pick the lock and get into the store. They got through there and had to get through another door to get into the shop. They took out that lock; it didn’t damage the door but they got into the shop and the office.

“It was very clear what their modus operandi was - it was money and cashable items.

“The keys for our two trucks and forklifts were in a filing cabinet there. They proceeded to remove the safe, which was in another location under the stairs. I didn’t think anyone would be able to find it and remove it, but they did.

“They took a truck and the safe plus any loose cigarettes or change that was in a tin, and some items in the shop like washing powder and sledgehammers.

“How long they were there, we don’t know, but the truck was captured on CCTV going in a northerly direction at 2.38am. So they were early and did what they wanted to do.

“They had a lot of hours of darkness to travel after doing what they did. They were brazen and very professional in what they were doing.”

Mr McHugh said that the same gang are suspected of breaking into a local pub “where they took cigarettes and money”, adding that they “knew what they were doing”.

The devastated business owner admitted that he doesn’t think that his property will be recovered even though gardaí have launched an investigation into the robberies.

“Obviously the gardaí were out there and fingerprints were taken, but we haven’t heard back.

“As each day goes by, I think the chances are probably less and less of us getting any information.”

A garda spokesperson confirmed that they were investigating the two burglaries as they confirmed that no one had been arrested in relation to the incidents.

"Gardaí are investigating two separate incidents of burglary at business premises in Dunmore, Co. Galway on the 10th of January 2023.

"No arrests have been made at this time. Investigations are ongoing."