Michael Cronin was a target of gardaí for many years
WHEN MICHAEL Cronin was sentenced to 10 years for drug-dealing in 1998, the north inner city Independent TD Tony Gregory was the first to welcome the lengthy jail term.
His words at that time were, somewhat eerily, aired once again on the national airwaves yesterday, the day after Mr Gregory's own funeral. "He was one of the people who outraged local communities because they knew he was heavily involved in heroin," Mr Gregory said of the then 24-year-old Cronin.
"He was living in a corporation flat but was buying houses in the area with drug money. People just couldn't understand how this guy was getting away with it. But he's got his comeuppance today."
The value of the drugs seized from Cronin at the time, at between £10,000 and £16,000, was relatively small. However, a 10-year tariff was handed down because Cronin had already been given a second chance by the courts when receiving a suspended drugs sentence in 1996.
Cronin was freed from jail about four years ago. He resumed sourcing drugs for distribution across Finglas and his native Ballymun. A Finglas gang he fell out with are now the prime suspects for his murder. The gang was once led by Martin "Marlo" Hyland, who was murdered by his own gang two years ago. The man who engineered Hyland's killing is also believed to have organised Cronin's murder. He is a drug dealer and is currently on bail in relation to another offence.
At the time of his death, Cronin was being targeted by the Criminal Assets Bureau (Cab). That case is due before the courts later this month. It involves houses in Buckingham St in Dublin 1 and in south Dublin's Ballyboden and Rathfarnham suburbs.
Cronin had crossed many gangs while re-establishing himself as a major drug dealer since his release from prison. At least three recent attempts were made on his life. The most recent was in October near his home on the Hampton Wood Estate in Finglas when he was shot at while driving. He was regarded as a criminal with a taste for the trappings associated with organised crime. He holidayed in the Caribbean and regularly travelled to the Irish soccer team's away fixtures.
In 1998 he purchased a house in Finglas, investing £100,000 cash in the property, and was driving a car valued at £13,000 at the time.
When finally caught with heroin in 1996 he tried to obstruct gardaí entering his home and shouted to the mother of his child to "get rid" of the drugs.
He was charged but despite surrendering his passport, gardaí found another passport and an airline ticket in his home. His bail was revoked and he was imprisoned until his February 1998 trial.
