Gardaí launch major probe as arsenal of weapons found stashed inside graveyard

Sunday World

6 hours ago

Machetes, together with an array of other items Were discovered by gardaí hidden inside the grounds of Athlone's Coosan Cemetery.
Coosan Cemetery in Athlone where an arsenal of weapons were discovered by gardaí ahead of Cemetery Sunday.
Gardaí believe they prevented a potentially violent incident out between warring factions in a midlands town at the weekend after detectives seized a cache of weapons inside the grounds of a local graveyard just hours ahead of the hosting of Cemetery Sunday.
Machetes, together with an array of other items, which detectives believe had been deliberately hidden inside the grounds of Athlone's Coosan Cemetery, were discovered by gardaí during a planned sweep of the town's burial grounds on Friday evening.
That find, which has been described by local politicians as 'shocking' and 'horrifying' in equal measure, came barely 48 hours before hundreds of local families gathered for what was one of the most well attended Cemetery Sunday services in recent memory.
Coosan Cemetery in Athlone where an arsenal of weapons were discovered by gardaí ahead of Cemetery Sunday.
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'On Friday 27th June 2025, Gardaí conducted a search of a Cemetery in Athlone, Co. Westmeath,' said a garda spokesperson.
'A number of items were recovered during the course of the search, including machetes and sports equipment.
'Enquiries are ongoing.'
Gardaí are hoping to make further progress in terms of tracing the identities of a number of suspects they believe were behind the discovery.
In the midst of those efforts, details surrounding the incident and the motives which led up to the incident have come in for scathing criticism on what was an otherwise warmly received occasion which attracted large crowds from across the locality.
'It was an idyllic evening, the sun was shining, everyone was wearing bright summer clothing and it was just a beautiful, beautiful evening without a puff of wind anywhere,' said local Cllr Aengus O'Rourke.
'Everything that was said you could hear it, be that the prayers that were said or the music that was played, but it's shocking to hear that that there was a risk of unrest or that some had planned unrest of some kind. It's just horrifying.'
The Fianna Fáil local politician and businessman reserved a special mention for gardaí who, he said, had undeniably averted a potentially serious incident from unfolding in front of young families and children.
'I am so grateful to the Gardaí,' he said.
'They were clearly on top of their game, their intelligence was obviously spot on because they went there looking for weapons and found them.
'They were well tuned into the situation and behalf of everyone there I would like to thank them for what they did because who knows what might have happened if they hadn't been so proactive.'