Gardaí fear gangland violence is set to escalate

HAD TWO of the victims of the shooting in Tallaght, Dublin, late on Monday night, been slightly less fortunate, gardaí would have had to open four gun-murder investigations in less than 24 hours.

The fact that two murder investigations are in train marks the latest chapter in a particularly violent period in the capital. In the past two weeks, 10 men have been shot, four of them fatally.

Most worryingly for the Garda is the fact that one of the men shot yesterday – Graham McNally (34) – was a member of one of the country’s most active drug gangs.

Gardaí believe that gang is not only feuding with other factions but is also violently imploding.

The Finglas-based gang has been at the centre of three murders and two attempted murders in the past fortnight.

This day two weeks ago Michael “Roly” Cronin (35) and James Maloney (26) were shot dead as they sat in a car off Summerhill in Dublin’s north inner city. Gardaí believe their drug-related murders were ordered by the leader of the Finglas gang that counted McNally as a member.

Last Thursday night, gardaí in Finglas stopped two men in a car and found a loaded pump action shotgun. One theory being explored is that the men were on their way to shoot McNally and the leader of his gang.

They believe the men found with the shotgun were out to avenge the shooting dead last August of Paul “Framer” Martin (39) in the Joly Toper pub in Finglas. That killing was also carried out by the gang that counted McNally as a member.

The leader of the gang was a former close associate of drug dealer Martin “Marlo” Hyland.

He is believed to have helped organise Hyland’s murder in December 2006 and immediately assumed control of Hyland’s gang.

The gun attack on Hyland also claimed the life of Anthony Campbell (20). The apprentice plumber was working in Hyland’s house at Scribblestown Park, Finglas, when the killers arrived.

But the difficulties for gardaí in Finglas of late have not been confined to the activities of the former Hyland gang.

They are also dealing with a separate feud between more minor drug dealing factions. A father and son were wounded in gun attacks last Sunday week and last Monday week in a local pub and private house.

A further shooting incident occurred at another house in Finglas last Wednesday.

Seven shots were fired and gardaí believe that was revenge for the wounding of the father and son. That feud is expected to continue.

In the west of the city, gardaí in Tallaght are also bracing themselves for possible reprisals following the fatal shooting of Stephen O’Halloran late on Thursday night and the wounding of two of his associates during the same attack.

Separately, one man was wounded three times in a drug-related shooting in Kinsealy, north Dublin this day two weeks ago. Gardaí also fear that row will escalate.