Armed detectives, bomb disposal teams and dog handlers are searching land near the border for a second day after a dissident republican arms dump was uncovered.
AK47s, a sniper rifle and components for mortar bombs were reportedly discovered buried on farmland near Jenkinstown, close to the southern shores of the Cooley peninsula in Co Louth.
Some of the material was hidden in barrels.
A quantity of ammunition was also recovered, gardai said.
A large number of officers from several units remained on the hillside near Annaloughan where officers were continuing to search overgrown fields and hedgerows and a large shed next to the farmhouse.
No arrests have been made.
The site is a few miles from the Lordship Credit Union, where Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe, who lived locally, was shot dead by a gang in January 2013.
Gardai said a number of items were discovered which are suspected of being component parts of improvised explosive devices.
It has not been revealed how long the arms dump may have been on the land.
Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams said the discovery was disturbing.
“I welcome fact that the gardai have taken these weapons out of circulation and wish to commend them on this,” he said.
“There is absolutely no place today for armed actions in Irish society, which are contributing nothing to the cause of Irish unity.
“Those behind such activity have no public support. I would call again on these groups to desist from their activities and to disband.”
Police searching land after dissident republican arms dump discovered
