BREAKING: Major garda raids over feuds between Limerick and Cork families

A MAJOR garda operation believed to be connected with ongoing feuds between Limerick and Cork families is underway this Wednesday.

Limerick Live has seen footage of over a dozen garda vehicles on the outskirts of Charleville. There also reports that the garda helicopter has been deployed.

Uniformed officers and plain clothes detectives, backed up by armed gardai, swooped on a number of properties. There have been no reports of seizures thus far but it is understood some items of an evidentiary nature have been seized.

There have been a number of serious incidents in recent weeks in Charleville, Kilmallock and Patrickswell, including a 12-year-old girl being rushed to Temple Street Children's Hospital in Dublin with serious injuries.

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Residents contacted Limerick Live in September to say that local people are “terrified” by the level of violence involved following a number of incidents, including arson attacks, shots fired and criminal damage.

“These are residential estates. This type of violence has been ongoing since last December.

"It is like the Wild West in Charleville. Nobody feels like they can speak up for fear of intimidation,” said one resident. 

More to follow...