A man has been refused bail after he was charged with attempting to launder more than €1.2m.

The cash was seized during a random car search at a garda checkpoint on Friday in Ballyvergal, Co Carlow as part of Operation Thor.

Shortly before 8.00pm they stopped a car driven by a man aged in his 50s.

During the course of a search, gardaí discovered the cash.

John Fitzgerald of Woodbrook Place, Green Lane in Carlow was remanded on bail after he was considered to be a flight risk due to the serious nature of the offence.

He appeared before a special sitting of Kilkenny District Court on Sunday morning.

He was remanded to Cloverhill Prison to appear in the District Court there next Friday.