Two men have been charged in connection with an armed robbery at a post office in Co Carlow.

The pair, both aged 27 years, will appear before Carlow District later this morning after their arrest on Tuesday morning.

According to gardaí, two men, one believed to be armed with a firearm and the other in possession of a hammer, entered Leighlinbridge Post Office on Monday morning.

They threatened and assaulted a member of staff before leaving the post office with an amount of cash.

Both were wearing balaclavas and fled the scene in a car described as being a white Honda.

Gardaí from the Thomastown District were diverted from a separate operation and assisted local Gardaí, setting up a number of checkpoints, establishing a cordon around the general area.

Gardaí then received a report that a white car was being set on fire near the Burrin Manor housing estate in Carlow.

The two men were arrested a short distance from this scene were detained at Carlow and were held at Thomastown Garda Stations.

An amount of cash was recovered by Gardaí.