GARDAÍ INVESTIGATING the fatal shooting of a man in Artane last night believe it was linked to an ongoing feud between criminal gangs in the north Dublin inner city. Conor Lally, Genevieve Carberry, and Elaine Edwardsin Artane.
The man, in his 30s, was shot at the Ardlea Inn, Maryfield Avenue, Artane, Dublin 5 at about 8.30pm and died in hospital a short time later.
The victim was having a drink when two men in balaclavas entered the packed pub and fired shots from a handgun.
The men left the scene in a silver Nissan car.
The critically injured man was taken to Beaumont Hospital where he was pronounced dead shortly before 10pm. The man, who has yet to be named, was from the Comcastle area of Kilmore in Dublin 5.
Last night Maryfield Avenue was cordoned off at both ends by gardaí. The shutters were down on all of the downstairs doors of the pub which was to have hosted a busy poker night.
A single Garda traffic corps vehicle and a small number of uniformed gardaí were stationed outside.
A number of would-be customers who approached the pub were shocked to see the Garda tape. Local man Patrick Douglas said he had been going for a quiet drink. Tony Byrne and his wife Anne said they were going to the pub for a sing song.
It is understood the victim was a close associate of Christy Griffin, an armed robber and drug dealer who was jailed for life in April 2007 after being convicted of raping a young girl.
The feud has centred on the Sheriff Street area of Dublin where there has been a series of tit-for-tat shootings, grenade attacks, stabbings and beatings since 2004.
In December 2006, as Griffin's trial date approached, two men - Gerard "Batt" Byrne and Stephen Ledden - were shot dead in feud-related attacks. Stephen Ledden (28), was shot in the head at Oriel Street, Dublin on December 27th, 2006. He was shot by mistake by killers targeting another man thought to be behind a feud-related murder two weeks earlier.
Criminal Gerard Byrne (25), of Ferryman's Crossing, Dublin, was shot dead in the IFSC on December 13th, 2006.
He was believed to be behind a number of feud-related property attacks.
Griffin, who had been accused of sexually abusing and raping his partner's young daughter, was convicted of rape the following January and later jailed for life.
It is understood the feud largely formed around two factions, one of which stood by Griffin after the accusations surfaced, and the other of which formed an opposing group.
Witnesses or anyone with information is asked to contact Coolock Garda station at (01) at 6664200.