Gardai in Meath are investigating an aggravated burglary near Tara during which four men - armed with a gun, a knife and an axe - raided a house occupied by a woman and a toddler.

Meanwhile - in a follow up operation in Dublin a 22 year old man was arrested and a car hijacked earlier this week was found.

This incident began just after 11 o'clock last night when four men armed with a gun, a knife and an axe forced their way into a house near Tara in Co Meath.

A woman and a 3 year old girl who were in the house at the time were not injured but the men ransacked the house and made off with a number of legally held firearms, ammunition and assorted personal property.

They also took the owners car which was later found abandoned near the M50.

In follow-up operation Gardaí searched a number of properties in the Rathmines area of Dublin and found a number of firearms.

A black BMW was also found which had been hijacked in the city centre on Tuesday.

A 22 year old man - who was arrested at the scene - is being questioned at Terenure Garda Station.