A man in his 30s has been arrested following a manhunt in north Cork after six horses and two dogs were shot dead.

Gardaí were alerted after a man, believed to be armed with a shotgun, fired a number of shots overnight.

The animals were shot dead and a four-wheel drive vehicle was damaged during the incident, which happened at around 1am.

A man left the scene in a 131-C registered black Toyota Corolla saloon car.

It is believed no one else was involved in the incident.

Members of the Regional Support Unit assisted with the search, which centred around the village of Newmarket.