An All-Ireland winning hurler was forced to demand several million euro cash from the bank where he works after a kidnap gang threatened his wife and children in the Republic of Ireland.
Tiger-kidnappers raided the home of former Kilkenny star Adrian Ronan early on Tuesday morning taking his wife hostage and ordering him to the Bank of Ireland.
The plot fell apart when the gang of at least three armed and masked men became spooked and did not show up at a drop-off point.
It is understood Ronan took his children, all aged under 10, and drove to his Parliament Street workplace as the gang held his wife and waited for ransom money.
Detectives in Kilkenny were alerted when the bank opened and a counter-operation following agreed protocols swung into place.
It was several hours before Ronan's wife was found at about 2pm at the weather station at Granges Road on the outskirts of Kilkenny.
Ronan was an All-Ireland medal winner at both minor and senior level for his county.
Gardai said none of the family were injured but gardai said they were extremely traumatised by the eight hour ordeal.
"The children were unharmed other than they were very frightened," Superintendent John Gilligan said.
It was the fourth similar kidnap in the Republic this year.
Justice Minister Dermot Ahern is due to meet senior executives from the main banks later this week to discuss the raids.
© Press Association