GARDAÍ BELIEVE a man shot dead at the weekend was killed because his former criminal associates blamed him for the murder of another man in 2006.
Anthony Russell (30) was gunned down as he sat drinking with friends in the Ardlea Inn, Artane, Dublin, on Friday night.
His was the 10th gun murder of the year. Seven of the killings are linked to gangland crime.
Russell, a father of two from Cromcastle Drive, Kilmore, died in Beaumont hospital at about 10pm following the gun attack at 8.30pm.
Two men wearing balaclavas walked into the pub and singled him out. At least one of the attackers was armed with a handgun and opened fire on the victim, wounding him several times in the upper body.
Russell was due to be married next month. His partner and mother of his two children was in Belfast on Friday for her hen party when she was informed her fiance had been shot dead. He had survived a gun attack at his home two years ago and was aware his life was in danger.
The dead man was a career criminal who was well known to gardaí in north Dublin and in the north inner city.
He was a drug dealer and armed robber.
He was a close associate of Christy Griffin, who was jailed for life in April 2007 after being convicted of raping a young girl.
Russell was a member of a gang led by Griffin based in Sheriff Street in Dublin's north inner city. The gang specialised in drug dealing, armed robberies, truck hijackings and robberies in Dublin Port.
The gang worked closely with the Provisional IRA based in Dublin.
However, Griffin (38), Ridgewood Green, Swords, and formerly of Canon Lillis Ave, Dublin 1, found himself at the centre of a feud when a young girl known to him went to gardaí four years ago and told them Griffin had raped her.
When news of this emerged, his own gang members and other criminals from the Sheriff Street area split into two factions and soon became embroiled in a bitter feud.
The feud involved tit-for-tat shootings, grenade attacks, stabbings and beatings, mainly in the north inner city but also spreading to Finglas, Swords and parts of north Dublin.
In December 2006, as Griffin's rape trial approached, two men - Gerard Byrne and Stephen Ledden - were shot dead in feud-related attacks.
Ledden (28), was shot in the head at Oriel Street, Dublin 1, on December 27th, 2006. Byrne (25), of Ferryman's Crossing, Dublin 1, was shot dead in the IFSC on December 13th, 2006.
Many people in the north inner city believed Anthony Russell had shot Gerard Byrne. Russell was one of a number of Garda suspects for the Byrne killing. Gardaí investigating Friday's shooting believe it was most likely a revenge murder for that killing.
Supt Mark Curran of Coolock Garda station said there was "chaos" in the Ardlea Inn as the attacker opened fire.
He said the two attackers both wore black clothing. One had a white emblem on his long black coat while the other wore white or cream trainers. Both men were described as being around 6ft tall.
Supt Curran described the killing as "cold and callous".
The killers are believed to have escaped in a silver Nissan Almera. The car was found in a laneway at the back of houses on Maryfield Drive just around the corner from the crime scene.
A handgun was found in the car.
Gun murders: year to date
April 7th: The remains of James Cronin (20), Ballinacurra Weston, Limerick are found in a shallow grave near Hyde Rd, Limerick. He had been shot in the head. Gardaí believe his killing was feud related.
April 5th: Mark Moloney (40) is shot dead in an on-street shooting in Limerick's Garryowen area.
Gardaí believe his murder was feud related. One man has been charged with the murder.
March 26th: Michael Hanrahan (60) and his son Denis (27), are shot dead at their home in Moyvane, north Kerry. A man known to them has since been charged with the double murder.
March 8th: Richard McCormack (29), Ronan's Close, Ronanstown, Dublin, is shot dead outside his brother's home, also in Ronanstown. A drug dealer, gardaí believe his killing was in revenge for a fatal shooting 12 months ago for which he was a suspect.
March 6th: John Berney, a 29-year-old father of four, is shot dead at his home in Castlelyon Drive, Newcastle, west Dublin. A known drug dealer, gardaí believe his killing was drug related.
February 18th: Darren Guerrine (21), La Touche Rd, Bluebell, Dublin 12, is fatally shot in the head on the banks of the Grand Canal close to his home. A minor criminal and joyrider, the motive for his killing is unclear although drugs links are suspected.
February 10th: Andrew Burns (27), Strabane, Co Tyrone, is taken across the Border in a car into Donegal and shot dead on a roadway in the village of Castlefin. Gardaí believe he was killed by dissident republicans.
January 5th: David Lynch (39) is shot dead at Collery Drive, Cranmore, in Sligo town. A convicted armed robber, gardaí believe his murder was part of a dispute between Sligo criminals.
