Updated 12.00

A violent Dublin gang, suspected of a series of robberies, have used the train to make their getaway.

The gang successfully avoided gardaí by using public transport.

According to The Irish Examiner, this Ballyfermot-based gang have been linked to burglaries right across the country over the past five years.

It has now emerged that the gang leaders used the train after robbing two homes in Co Limerick, where they attacked the homeowners' and their families. They successfully evaded garda checkpoints along the N7.

The stolen goods were held by accomplices in Limerick and Cork before being delivered to Dublin.

It is also claimed that some of the gang used free travel passes when taking the train, and that they used the train to travel to monitor target homes.

Irish Rail spokesperson Barry Kenny: