Detectives say they are satisified that there is no paramilitary link to the discovery of live ammunition on a beach near Kilrush in County Clare. They also confirmed that the find, which included six hundred 9-millimetre rounds, had belonged to the gardaí. Today, gardaí continued to search the area, where the live ammunition was discovered. 600 9milimetre and .38 rounds, along with a number of other cartridges and blanks, have so far been found. Gardaí confirmed that the ammunition is Garda issue, but that it has not been used for some time.
Last Wednesday, a group of children came across a box marked Garda HQ at the foot of the cliffs near a beach between Killimer and Cappagh pier. Sixty rounds of ammunition were found in the box. It is thought that the 9milimetre rounds are for an Uzi sub-machine gun, while the .38 are used by detectives. A number of blank rounds were also discovered. Some of the rounds were individually picked up off the sand.
Garda Headquarters said this afternoon that the ammunition has not been used by the Gardaí for some time. The .38 ammunition is twenty years old and the 9milimetre rounds have not been used by the Gardaí in over ten years. Ten shotgun cartridges were also found, but detectives do not believe they are of Garda stock. Ballistics experts are examining the haul.
