THREE men were last night arrested after shots were fired at gardai before a dramatic chase in Kildare.

The drama unfolded after gardai attempted to flag down a black Audi estate car at Larch Hill.

2 Shots were fired at gardai in Co Kildare last night Credit: Crispin Rodwell - The Sun Dublin

It had earlier been spotted driving at speed through Monasterevin.

The car came to a stop, a man got out of the front passenger seat and blasted from a shotgun over a garda's head before they sped away.

Later on, with the help of Garda Emergency Response unit, the Regional Support Unit nabbed the trio, aged 23, 27 and 32, after the silver Hyundai car they had switched to crashed at Pollardstown, Newbridge, near the Curragh racecourse.

It is believed that the men - part of an organised traveller gang - were involved in a burglary in Tipperary earlier that evening.

2 The cops arrested the trio after the getaway car crashed near the Curragh Racecourse Credit: Garrett White - The Sun Dublin

They are being detained at Portlaoise and Tullamore Garda Stations for the firearms incident.

One of the men is a Dublin native while another is from Portlaoise.

Kildare Garda Representative Association John Joe O'Connell welcomed the arrests.

He told the Irish Sun: "The main concern is that there were no injuries in this incident.

"Thankfully the Regional Support Unit were on hand to respond to this situation but very often it's the guard who could be dealing with a domestic incident at one stage and then the next having a shot fired at them.

"The majority of guards are ordinary guards and this was a very serious incident.

"The issue of the Garda fleet also needs to be addressed because it's impossible for a 1.7 litre garda car to chase the three litre cars used by the travelling criminals."

A Garda spokesman said: "Gardai have arrested three men following a firearms incident at Larch Hill, Monasterevin, Co Kildare last night, Monday November 6.

"At approximately 9.30pm last night Gardai observed a black Audi estate car with a partial registration number 151 G driving at speed through Monasterevin over the draw bridge, main street and on towards the Kildare road.

"This car was observed driving at speed by a number of Garda units.

"A short time later the black Audi was observed by a Garda unit at a location known locally as Ashgrove, this car was then followed by Gardai.

"It then stopped on the road at Larch Hill. The front seat male passenger exited the car produced what Gardai believe was a shotgun and discharged a shot. No persons were injured during this incident.

"A number of armed Garda units were aware of this incident and at 10.30pm. Gardai from the Regional Support Unit stopped a silver Hyundai car at Pollardstown, Newbridge.

"Three men were arrested in connection with the earlier incident and are currently detained at Portlaoise and Tullamore Garda Stations under the provisions of Section 30 – Offences Against the State Act 1939."