Two South African men have been jailed at Galway Circuit Criminal Court for conspiring to rob a post office in Connemara last year.
Quintas Smith, 30, and Michael Huston, 44, were sentenced to four and five years respectively with each of the final two years suspended.
The men have been in custody since their arrest at the Inverin post office last November.
Gardaí had put a surveillance operation in place on the day following a confidential tip-off.
The court heard how the men had knives, balaclavas and an imitation gun in their possession when they arrived at Teach Mór in Inverin after 5pm.
However, the post office had closed at 11am that day.
Defence teams for both men said the robbery was planned due to financial pressures after they lost their jobs.
Mr Martin Giblin SC described the attempted robbery as amateurish and laughable.
He said the men were derided and ridiculed in prison and were referred to as 'dumb and dumber'.
Judge Raymond Groarke said he accepted the men had no previous convictions and had good work records since coming to Ireland in 2002.
However, he said if it were not for garda surveillance and the fact that the post office had been closed that day, they might have terrorised a lot of elderly people and staff.
He sentenced Huston to five years in prison and Smith to four years.
The final two years were suspended on condition the men leave Ireland within 24 hours of their release from prison.
