Four held as gardaí link Dublin gangland killings

GARDAÍ BELIEVE two brothers shot dead in separate gangland killings in north Dublin were murdered by the same drugs gang of which one of them was a key member.

Last night four people were being questioned by gardaí after their arrests in relation to one of the murders.

Graham McNally (34), Cappagh Avenue, Finglas, Dublin, was a member of a major Finglas drugs gang once led by murdered drug dealer Martin “Marlo” Hyland.

McNally was shot in the head on January 19th, 2009, in an area known as Coldwinters just north of Finglas.

The gang had just killed its own leader Hyland, with new gang boss Eamon Dunne assuming control of the cartel.

Graham McNally was a close friend of Dunne’s.

However, Dunne came to believe that McNally was plotting against him and so he ordered him to be shot dead.

Dunne himself has since been murdered. He was shot dead in a pub in Cabra two years ago.

While Dunne’s gang has now waned in size and influence, it is still intact and under new leadership.

Its members are the chief suspects for the murder of Graham McNally’s brother, Alan, earlier this year.

Alan McNally (36), from Finglas, Dublin, was shot in the head in the Cappagh Nua pub, Barry Road, Finglas, in the early hours of February 2nd.

He had been released late last year from a seven-year prison sentence for heroin dealing.

Yesterday morning four people – three men and a woman – were arrested for questioning about the murder of Graham McNally.

The four were arrested in the Finglas area during a series of co-ordinated raids at 9am. They were detained under section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act and can be held for up to 72 hours without charge.

They are being questioned at Blanchardstown, Finglas and Cabra Garda stations. They range in age from their late 20s to early 40s.

The Irish Times understands they are the same people who were arrested two months after the killing of Graham McNally.

The legislation under which they are being detained enables gardaí to question people on suspicion of withholding information or directly in relation to a gun killing.

While they were being questioned only about the Graham McNally killing, and not the murder of his brother Alan, the four in detention last night are linked to the same Finglas gang now suspected of the murders of both brothers.