A soldier on duty at Portlaoise Prison fired a warning shot tonight after a number of men tried to smuggle phones into the Midlands Prison.
At around 7pm a number of men broke through a perimeter fence and made their way towards the walls around the Midlands Prison.
A soldier on duty in one of the watchtowers at the adjoining Portlaoise pPrison saw the men and called on them to stop and identify themselves.
It appears that his verbal warnings were ignored.
The Defence Forces say the soldier fired a warning shot in response.
The men fled the scene and in a follow up search seven phones were recovered in a package which prison sources believe were destined to be thrown into the Midlands prison.
Gardaí, the Prison Service and the Military Police are now investigating the incident.
