A suspected petrol bomb attack on a house in Limerick city last night could mark a serious escalation of the feud between the Ryan and Keane families.
The house, on the Lee estate, belonged to the O'Brien family. Ms Teresa O'Brien is a sister-in-law of Mr John Ryan, uncle of the two Ryan brothers who were allegedly abducted last week.
It is understood the O'Brien family had left the house at the weekend because of fears for their safety. Ms O'Brien's car had already been attacked. There was extensive damage to the house, particularly downstairs.
A Garda spokesman said technical experts would examine the house this morning.
Mr John Ryan also left his home in the same estate in recent days and it remained boarded up last night. The Lee estate is close to St Mary's Park where members of the rival Keane family live.
The attack on the O'Brien home happened after 7 p.m. There was a heavy presence of gardaí from the Emergency Response Unit outside the house last night.
A Garda car was also circling around the home of the Ryan brothers.
Neighbours were reluctant to talk about the incident but some people queried the extent of the Garda surveillance.
Meanwhile, attempts at mediation in the family feud have been rebuffed by the Keane family, adding to fears of a continued escalation of the dispute.