A SUSPECTED PETROL bomb attack on a courthouse in Ennis, county Clare is being investigated by Gardaí.

The incident took place at around 3.45am today. A rear window of the courthouse was smashed and a fire broke out inside the building.

The alarm system in the building alerted authorities to the incident.

On closer inspection it appeared that something had been used to smash the window.

Both the Gardaí and fire brigade were called to the scene. Minimal damage has been caused to the building.

The smashed glass was a security window and would have taken substantial effort to break, according to sources.

The Gardaí are looking at CCTV of the incident. No arrests have been made at this stage.