Prisoner at large from Loughan House

A prisoner, who absconded from Loughan House earlier this month, is suspected of stealing vehicles; while a robbery took place in the hours immediately after his escape.

The man, who remains at large, was last spotted in the greater Dublin area. He walked out of the Cavan open prison on October 6.

Aged in his 40s, the man was jailed for serious offences but was moved to the Blacklion-based facility to serve out the remainder of his sentence.

The escaped prisoner is suspected of taking a vehicle from outside a property near Loughan House before driving west in the direction of Manorhamilton, Co Leitrim. Gardaí have confirmed that a robbery was also reported at a local takeaway premises in the area around the time.

It appears the escapee drove back in the direction of Blacklion but, with gardaí in pursuit, abandoned the vehicle and made off across the fields.

Despite best efforts, the man was not located, and the following day another vehicle was reported stolen in the Manorhamilton area. This vehicle was later found abandoned in the Dublin area.

A spokesperson for An Garda Síochána confirmed to the Celt: "The Prison Service notified gardaí who are actively seeking the prisoner.”

They added that gardaí in the North Western Region are following "a definite line of enquiry in relation to a number of car thefts", reported in October 2023.

The Irish Prison Service confirmed that this is the second person to have absconded from Cavan's Loughan House to date in 2023.