Man (21) arrested over armed robbery seen by Varadkar

Minister arrived at ‘my local Spar shop’ as men armed with machete and gun fled

The location of the Spar shop in Carpenterstown west Dublin where the robbery took place.
The location of the Spar shop in Carpenterstown west Dublin where the robbery took place.

Gardaí have arrested a 21-year-old man in connection with an armed robbery Minister for Health Leo Varadkar came up on while canvassing in west Dublin this week.

Two men, one armed with a machete and the other with a gun, threatened staff and customers at a Spar shop in Carpenterstown on Tuesday about 7pm.

The pair took a sum of cash and personal property from customers during the raid and passed the Minister as they ran from the scene at the Carpenterstown Shopping Centre.

Mr Varadkar said he spoke to the manager of the store after the incident and was relieved no one had been injured.

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Gardaí from Blanchardstown arrested the 21-year-old after a search operation in Dublin on Friday morning.

He is in custody at Blanchardstown Garda station.

A Garda spokesman said the investigation was ongoing.

Rachel Flaherty

Rachel Flaherty

Rachel Flaherty is Digital Features Editor and journalist with The Irish Times