Firefighters had to turn a waterhose on a man armed with a samurai sword while attending a fire in Dundalk.
The man was armed with a samurai sword
The man ran from a crowd towards the firefighters tackling a car fire at a house in Marion Park at about 0150 GMT on Friday.
The firefighters turned their hose on the man to defend themselves, knocking him to the ground.
A man was then arrested and taken to Drogheda Garda Station to be questioned about the incident.
The chief fire officer with Louth Fire Services, Eamon Wollf, said his men had just put on their breathing apparatus when they notices a man behaving strangely.
"Initially they noticed him attacking a house next door and a car with what they thought was a golf club," Mr Wollf said.
"But then he approached the firefighters and it turned out to be a long sword.
"He went to attack the firefighters, but luckily the firefighter with the hose saw him and turned the hose on him and knocked him to the ground."