Terrifying encounter with burglary gang left man in fear for his life

A County Roscommon man’s terrifying encounter with a Dublin burglary gang in Frenchpark left him in fear for his life and is an experience he says he will “never forget.” Another Roscommon family were robbed of €10,000 they had been saving for a family holiday after their home in Dysart was burgled.

Their traumatic experiences at the hands of the Connors’ gang in November 2024 were revealed at a sentence hearing at Sligo Circuit Criminal Court recently.

Edward ‘Ned’ Connors (51) of 2 Bridgeview, Cloverhill Road, Clondalkin, Dublin 2 was sentenced to nine years in prison for his role in directing a criminal organisation and a spate of burglaries in the West of Ireland while his son Larry Connors (30) of the same address was sentenced to six years in prison with the final year suspended.

Detective Garda Conor Jordan described the moment two ordinary citizens confronted the gang in County Roscommon: A blue BMW was suspected of being involved in a number of burglaries in Frenchpark since May 2024 and he said the local community would have been well aware of this. At 4.43 p.m. on November 16th, 2024, a man and his nephew were travelling towards Frenchpark in their white Peugeot van when they were suddenly overtaken by a blue BMW being driven dangerously. They followed the BMW to Frenchpark. At Portahard, the BMW drove up a boreen and reversed into a gap. The driver stopped his van in front of them, blocking the BMW.

At this point two of the four occupants of the BMW got out and approached him shouting, “Get the ***k out of the way.” They pulled balaclavas down over their faces and were carrying a long-handled axe with a red head and a long screwdriver. One of the men smashed his window and front bonnet with the red axe. The driver, Edward Connors Snr, remained in the car. In fear for his life, the motorist reversed his van and left the scene.