Three people were being questioned in Limerick last night by gardai investigating the murder of Det Garda Jerry McCabe, shot in Adare last year. The two men and a woman were arrested in Rialto and Clonsilla in Dublin early yesterday and were taken to Henry Street Garda station in Limerick. They were detained under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act which allows detention without charge for up to 48 hours.
It is understood they were being questioned about a number of offences and about the movement of cars in the Limerick area before the killing of Det Garda McCabe in Adare in June last year. He was shot dead in the village during an abortive post office robbery.
Two people have already been charged with the murder.
Last July at the Special Criminal Court, Mr Jeremiah Sheehy (36), of Rathkeale, Co Limerick, and Mr Michael O'Neill (46), of Patrickswell, Co Limerick, were also charged with the attempted murder of Det Garda Ben O'Sullivan at Adare on the same date, with firearms offences and membership of the IRA.
Also in Dublin yesterday, gardai arrested three men and a woman in connection with their investigation into the shooting dead of Mr Tim Rattigan last June. The four were detained under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act.
Mr Rattigan (49) was shot once in the head at close range by an unmasked gunman as he placed a bet in a bookmaker's shop in James's Street. He died later in hospital. It was the first "gangland" killing of the year.
Shortly after the killing, it emerged that Mr Rattigan had had an argument with a group of anti-drug vigilantes in the city. Mr Rattigan had intervened on behalf of a young man beaten by vigilantes who suspected him of being a drug dealer. It became clear that Mr Rattigan may have made himself a target for revenge by the vigilante group.
One of the men yesterday,
and questioned about the Rattigan murder, is well known in the south inner city for his connections to vigilante groups.
He has been linked to other serious crimes and, while he promotes himself to inner-city residents groups as a community leader and anti-drugs activist, his suspected vigilante activity has long been a focus of Garda attention.
Gardai yesterday also recovered weapons including a shotgun and .22 rifle along with radio listening equipment.