An Edenderry family say they have been left “terrified” after four masked intruders targeted their home in the early hours of July 11.

Speaking to RTÉ Radio 1’s Kieran Cuddihy on Liveline, Edenderry man Seamus Farrell described how home security sensors alerted him to movement outside his property.

“Four of them going down my driveway, hammers, an axe, bolt cutters, you name it.”

Mr Farrell said he believed one of the intruders had positioned himself behind a pillar.

“One of them actually stood behind my pillar and if I came out I was getting a hammer in the head.”

Fearing for his family’s safety, Mr Farrell retrieved his legally held shotgun before going outside and firing a warning shot into the air.

“I got up, got dressed and went out the front door and I let out a shot in the air, and four of them bolted across the yard into the trees.”

He told Liveline he believes the same group had previously targeted his home earlier this year.

“Same crowd here before, Feb/March last year.”

Mr Farrell said he also fired a warning shot during that incident, causing the group to flee.

Following the latest incident, he said he went onto the road after the intruders.

“I went onto the road, I let my gun down like an eejit, they came at me with a van, they sped off, no lights on, that was it.”

Describing the impact the incident has had on his family, Mr Farrell said:

“We’re in fear of our lives.”

He added:

“This gang is capable of anything.”

Mr Farrell also revealed that his son had received threatening messages before the incident.

He told Liveline that the messages were sent by an individual from Edenderry and warned:

“We are going to be in your room tonight. We are coming to get you.”

Mr Farrell was also critical of the Garda response after the incident, telling Liveline he contacted Tullamore Garda Station seeking reassurance for his family.

“I rang Tullamore and got a lovely guard. He said there’s a squad car going around Edenderry, I will put them onto you and get them to ring you.”

Mr Farrell said Gardaí later informed him they were dealing with another incident.

“Five minutes later they ring me and say we are going to a dispute in a house. I said, ‘Will you park outside my house? We are terrified.’

And they said, ‘We haven’t the resources for that. You may ring 999 if anything happens.

‘

‘That turned my stomach. I had to go out and sit in the car all night.”

The incident remains under investigation.

Source & Screengrab: RTÉ Radio 1 – Liveline