The violence and murder in certain communities in Limerick is “the tragic fruit of greed, hatred and the desire for revenge”, the Bishop of Limerick Donal Murray said.
“Once again our city has seen savage murders and neighbourhoods have experienced grief, fear and intimidation,” the bishop said in a statement.
“This is the tragic fruit of greed, hatred and the desire for revenge.
This is the tragic fruit of greed, hatred and the desire for revenge - Bishop of Limerick Donal Murray
“Can those who engage in such evil actions not see what is so obvious to everyone else - the utter futility of brutal behaviour which disregards the value of human life, which brings tragedy and sorrow to the families of their victims, and which shrivels their own humanity?”
Bishop Murray said the “huge majority” of people and families in the areas where the violence is centred “are decent, law abiding people who have a pride in their own area but who have seen it blighted by the actions of the few”.
He was speaking following the deaths of two men in Limerick in the past week.
Mark Moloney (40) was shot dead in the Garryowen area on Saturday afternoon and the body of James Cronin (20) was found in a shallow grave on Monday. Gardai also arrested a man in Limerick last night in their ongoing investigation into serious crime.
“Violence has already spilled over in a way that subjects good and peaceful members of our community to heartbreak, fear and intimidation, to the destruction of the reputation of their neighbourhood, and to an environment marked by burnt out houses and burnt out cars and burnt out hopes," Bishop Murray said.
He said it was “tragically clear” that self-destructive attitudes are being communicated to a new generation and that young lives were being destroyed.
“To lead impressionable children to look at murder and stabbing as something to be taken for granted, even to be admired, is a horrible betrayal. The most likely outcome for them is that they will spend the best years of their lives in jail or that they themselves will perish by violence at an early age.”
He said it was the duty of every citizen in Limerick to support the major regeneration project underway. The project offered “new hope” to areas that had suffered so much, he said.
“The process will need to be comprehensive and ‘joined up’. It will have to involve housing, policing, education, social provisions, community development, family support and many other dimensions.”
Remarking that the community had been “shocked” by the violence of recent days, Bishop Murray said it was important to recognise the dedicated work of many people, without which the situation would be “far worse”.
He praised, in particular, priests and religious, social workers, teachers, the emergency services and the "courage and professionalism" of the gardai in defending the rule of law.