33 guns stolen in Galway since 2010

A large number of deadly firearms – guns and bullets – were stolen in Galway over a period of four years, the Galway City Tribune can reveal.

Scores of shotguns, rifles and cartridges and rounds of ammunition remain unaccounted for after they were reported stolen to Galway Gardaí.

The cache of guns that were stolen in separate incidents since 2010, include dangerous weapons such as single-barrel shotguns, under and over shotguns, semi-automatic shotguns, pump action shotguns, bolt action rifles, lever action rifles, as well as air rifles and imitation guns.

The stolen guns were both licensed and unlicensed. Cartridges, bullets and ammunition were also reported stolen.

The figures, which relate to the years 2010 to 2014, reveal that there were 21 incidents reported to the Galway Garda Division of guns and ammunition having been stolen in Galway.

The number of guns that were reported to Gardaí to be stolen in the 21 incidents totalled 33 firearms.

A breakdown of the figures reveals that 10 guns were reported stolen in seven incidents in 2010.

Five guns were reported stolen as a result of three incidents in 2011.

There were five reported incidents in 2012, with six guns stolen. There were nine guns stolen in four incidents in 2013. And last year, two guns were stolen in two separate incidents.

During those years, a handful of incidents in which cartridges and ammunition were stolen, were also reported to the Galway Garda Division.

Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald disclosed the information to Fianna Fáil, and said that a total of 1,109 guns were reported stolen from licensed owners in Ireland in the past five years.

That figure included 826 shotguns, 276 rifles and seven handguns. About 600 guns that were stolen were not licensed, meaning the total number of stolen guns was 1,710.

Minister Fitzgerald said: “The figures relate to licensed and unlicensed firearms stolen over the period, including those stolen from firearms dealers. The information is from the Garda PULSE system . . . The total figure for firearms stolen of 1,710 between 2010 and 2014 includes 483 items in the category of ‘other’, which includes humane killer, starting gun and blank firing gun.”