Former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown enjoyed a secret family holiday in Ireland as armed gardai and cops from the UK kept a watchful eye.
The Irish Mirror learned the ex-Labour party leader spent a week at a plush West Cork home, including the August Bank Holiday weekend.
Sources said it was "unprecedented" and "unusual" that a former head of the British parliament would holiday here - security concerns remain, albeit at a lower level than in the past.
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We can reveal UK police sent over a team in advance of the trip to scope out any potential issues or threats.
Mr Brown, his wife Sarah along with other family members are then understood to have travelled with British close protection officers to Skibbereen.
We have also learned that a number of elite armed gardai, also close protection officers, were dispatched from Dublin to provide security for the trip.
One source told us: "It was quite unusual to have a former British Prime Minister visit in a personal capacity with family, it's unprecedented really.
"The threat level that was once there for such figures has obviously decreased substantially over the years, but a threat does still remain.
"So the trip itself was kept very tight and quiet."
Neither gardai or the UK police wanted it to become public knowledge while the Browns were in Cork.
The source added: "And a team did go to West Cork to make sure everything was in hand while the Garda also provided some resources to ensure the trip went smoothly."
The Irish Mirror also understands the property Brown stayed at is owned by a friend who is also involved in British politics.
Another source said: "It seems that he enjoyed his trip and he and his family were left alone by locals down there."
Mr Brown, who served as Prime Minister from 2007 to 2010, now works as the United Nations Special Envoy for Global Education and also serves as WHO Ambassador for Global Health Financing.
His wife Sarah is chair of Theirworld and executive chair of the Global Business Coalition for Education.
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