Seven out of 10 voters believe that gardaí were justified in shooting dead the two post office raiders in Lusk, Co Dublin, just over two weeks ago, according to the Irish Times/TNSmrbi opinion poll.
Some 71 per cent believe the gardaí were justified, 17 per cent that they were not, with 12 per cent saying they don't know or expressing no opinion.
There are sharp differences in the views of different age groups, with younger people least supportive of the Garda action and older people the most supportive.
Sinn Féin voters and people in Munster are also considerably less supportive than others, but a majority in all age, party and regional groupings see the Garda action as justified.
Colm Griffin (33) and Eric Hopkins (24) were shot dead in Lusk post office on May 26th by members of the Garda Emergency Response Unit. Gardaí said after the killings that one of the men was armed and was shot after he refused to drop his gun and brandished it at the ERU officers. The other man, they said, was unarmed but was shot dead when he tried to rush an armed officer.
While 71 per cent of the population see this as justified, just 58 per cent of the 18-24 age group support it. In this age category 26 per cent believe the Garda action was not justified and 16 per cent don't know or have no opinion.
Support for the shootings increases with age, with 78 per cent of those over 65 believing they were justified, just 15 per cent that they were not and 7 per cent saying they don't know or have no opinion.
In Munster 60 per cent believe gardaí were justified, 23 per cent that they were not and 17 per cent don't know or have no opinion.
Support for the action is highest in Leinster, excluding Dublin, with 82 per cent seeing it as justified, just 8 per cent not doing so and 10 per cent not knowing or having no opinion.
In Dublin 69 per cent believe the action was justified, 20 per cent that it was not and 11 per cent don't know or have no opinion. In Connacht-Ulster 74 per cent say the gardaí were justified, 18 per cent that they were not and 8 per cent don't know or have no opinion.
Sinn Féin supporters are the least supportive of the Garda action, but even they believe by a two-to-one majority that the shootings were justified. Some 58 per cent say they were, 34 per cent that they were not, and 8 per cent don't know or have no opinion. Support for the Garda action among supporters of other parties is relatively consistent and close to the average within the population as a whole.