A dissident republican has died after being shot in further gangland warfare in Dublin.
The target of the attack was a close relative of a murdered Real IRA paramilitary, Alan Ryan, who was shot dead by a Dublin crime gang in 2012.
Monday’s shooting happened at about 3.15pm in the Finglas area of north Dublin where there has been a heavy security presence over the last few weeks since a crime feud erupted at the Regency hotel during the weigh-in of a boxing bout a month ago.
A garda spokesman said the injured man was taken to the Mater hospital in north Dublin, where he was on life support and described his condition as “serious”. He died in the hospital late on Monday night and was named locally as Vinny Ryan.
Gardai believe the gunmen involved in the shooting escaped in a Volkswagen Golf. It is unclear if this shooting is linked to the gang warfare between those loyal to a Costa del Sol-based criminal, Christy Kinahan, and gangsters loyal to a north Dublin figure, Gerry “The Monk” Hutch.
Last week the Garda Síochána began searching for the “The Monk’s” gang in north Dublin with more than 100 officers. No one has yet been arrested. The search was connected to the investigation of the murder of David Byrne last month at the Regency hotel.
Byrne belonged to a criminal faction led by Christy Kinahan, a convicted drug dealer. He died in shooting at the hotel during a weigh-in for the World Boxing Organisation’s (WBO) European lightweight title.
Hutch’s brother, Eddie, was shot dead three days after the Byrne murder, apparently in retaliation. Eddie Hutch, who had no known connection to the violence, seemed to be regarded as a soft target by those seeking revenge for the Byrne killing.
