A 27-YEAR-OLD man was fighting for his life in hospital last night following an early-morning shooting in Limerick city.
Michael Lynch from O'Malley Park in Southill suffered serious injuries to his kidneys and liver area after he was shot with a handgun in the upper body.
The shooting took place outside a house in O'Malley Park shortly after 8am.
Yesterday's shooting is not linked to the wider Limerick feud but gardaí believe it may be linked to a long-running history of hostilities between associates of the injured man and the chief suspect who was arrested afterwards.
The 48-year-old man and his daughter, who is in her 20s, were arrested after the shooting which took place outside their home, also in O'Malley Park.
It is understood a number of shots were fired after a row broke out between the older man and the victim.
The 48-year-old has a number of previous convictions and is known to gardaí in Limerick.
He comes from a large family who are well known in the Southill area of Limerick. The suspect was being held last night under section 50 of the Offences against the State Act. He can be held for up to seven days.
His daughter was initially arrested under the Public Order Act but it is understood she was also being questioned about the shooting last night.
A large area around the house where the incident took place remained cordoned off for technical and forensic examination. The weapon used in the shooting, believed to be a low-calibre handgun, has still not been located.
The victim was taken to the Mid-Western Regional Hospital in Limerick where his condition was described as "critical".
Supt Anne Marie McMahon is leading the investigation and appealed for anyone with information to contact the gardaí at Roxboro Garda station on 061-214340.
"In relation to the firearm, a full-scale investigation is ongoing and at this stage we are still looking for that firearm and forensic and ballistic examinations will have to be carried out," said Supt McMahon.
Meanwhile, a second man was in Garda custody last night in connection with the discovery of a pipe bomb in Limerick earlier this week.
An 18-year-old woman was arrested in the St Mary's Park area of the city on Monday night after she was stopped by gardaí and found with the device. A Garda spokesman confirmed yesterday that a second person had since been arrested.
The man, who is in his mid-20s, was arrested on the north side of the city late on Tuesday afternoon and was also being held last night at Henry Street Garda Station under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act.