Dublin Shooting, Drimnagh shooting, Alan Ryan, Real IRA

Man shot dead Drimnagh

Gardai have launched a murder investigation after a known gangland figure was shot dead in Dublin this afternoon.

The victim was wounded outside a house on Cooley Rd, Drimnagh, and pronounced dead.

The 38-year-old former youth sports star was a suspected murderer who was charged with a fatal shooting but was recently cleared.

He walked free from court after spending several years in prison on remand when bail was denied because he was a flight risk and over fears he would intimidate witnesses.

A convicted robber, he had been warned his life was in danger and The Irish Oberver understands had taken precaution in an effort to evade any attempts on his life.

Today’s fatal attack occurred at around 3pm. The Irish Oberver will not name the dead man until relatives have been informed.

Regarded as a senior drug dealer, he had extensive contacts throughout the underworld in Dublin and was closely associated with the gang suspected of being behind the murder almost two years ago of Real IRA key figure in Dublin Alan Ryan.

A Garda spokesman said gardaí at Sundrive Road were investigating.

The scene is preserved pending a technical and forensic examination. The local Coroner and the office of the State pathologist have also been notified.

Dublin Shooting, Drimnagh shooting, Alan Ryan, Real IRA

Tommy Crossan Dead, Continuity IRA, Dissident Republicans, Real IRA

Tommy Crossan Shoot Dead

The former Belfast commander of the hardline anti-peace process paramilitary group, the Continuity IRA, has been shot dead in the city.

Tommy Crossan, 44, was killed near the Peter Pan light industrial complex on Springfield Road in Belfast at around 4.45pm on Friday.

Martin McGuinness said of the shooting: “The people behind this murder are criminals, drug dealers and informers and will further no cause through this cowardly act. Whoever carried out this act has nothing to offer the community and have no role to play in our future they should be shunned and handed over to the PSNI.”

The murdered man, who comes from the west of the city, served six years in Maghaberry top security prison a decade ago for a CIRA gun attack on a police station in Belfast.

Local nationalist SDLP councillor Colin Keenan, who lives near the scene of the shooting, condemned those behind the murder.

"I was on the scene shortly after this tragic event and I extend my heartfelt sympathy to the victim's family. We have long hoped that the shadow of death had been lifted from west Belfast. Today's event is a terrible, tragic reminder of the violent conflict of the past," Keenan said.

Details about the murder are still sketchy but it comes at a time of rising tensions among dissident republicans who are embroiled in a violent internal power struggle.

Declan Fat Deccy Smith shoot dead

Last week a former CIRA killer, Declan "Fat Deccy" Smith, was buried in his native Belfast after being assassinated outside a Dublin creche at the end of March.

Smith had been blamed for the double killing of two rival republican dissidents, Eddie Burns and Joseph Jones, who were murdered in 2007 in Belfast. Jones had been tortured and beaten to death with a spade over a dispute about the seizure of weapons and the control over the republican faction.

In a statement from the Continuity IRA's leadership on Friday, the terror group singled out a number of former members whom they accused of "criminal activity perpetrated in the name of the republican movement".

Referring to an attempted coup four years ago against the CIRA command, the organisation said: "The treachery of 2010 was a carefully planned attempt to arrest and destroy the republican movement as it exists today in the continuing defence of the Irish Republic proclaimed at the GPO Dublin in 1916. These people have failed and the criminal conspirators they have left in their wake shall dissipate."

And in a warning to its rivals, the paramilitary organisation added: "There will be other attempts to raise issues of contention ranging across diverse matters, for example principles, structures, authority, democracy, discipline and many others into the future. That said nobody is going to put the republican movement in their pocket and walk away to self-serve, for in doing so they will be turning away from the principles which sustain this movement and which are the ultimate guarantee of our success."

In 2000 Crossan was serving 10 years for conspiracy to murder RUC officers following a gun attack on a police station in west Belfast in 1998. He led a prison protest for political status in Maghaberry and at one stage spent 23 hours a day locked in his cell as punishment for refusing to do prison work.

In an interview Crossan was defiant about "armed struggle" continuing despite rising support for Sinn Féin and the peace process.

He said: "I am confident that the armed struggle will go on outside here and that, sadly, will mean more of my comrades being jailed and sent into this place. The bigger we get, the harder it will be for the authorities to treat us as criminals."

The CIRA was formed after splits in Republican Sinn Féin (RSF) in 1986. However, it was mainstream Sinn Féin's decision to sign up to non-violence principles during all-party talks in the run up to the 1998 Good Friday Agreement that finally prompted Crossan to leave the Provisional IRA.

In a bitter attack on Sinn Féin, Crossan told the Observer: "Bobby Sands [the IRA hunger striker and MP] is one of my great heroes … I was 10 when he died, that's when I became interested in republicanism but everything he fought for has been sold out. Prisoners like him died for political status, and now it's being taken away from republicans at a time Sinn Féin are doing something they vowed they would never do – sit in a Stormont government."

There are at least two factions within the CIRA: the mainstream organisation loyal to its Dublin leadership, whose main base remains around North Armagh, and a rival faction started by disgruntled republicans from Limerick with a few members in Belfast which has been in violent dispute with the main group.

The CIRA is the most hardline of the armed groups opposed to the Northern Ireland peace process. It was responsible for the 2009 murder of Constable Stephen Carroll in Craigavon. He was the first officer of the Police Service of Northern Ireland to be killed by republican paramilitaries.

Members of the security forces have been on high alert for attacks by various extremist factions who have also killed two soldiers and a prison officer.

In recent weeks they have stepped up efforts to kill police officers, with several attacks on the force in west Belfast.

After the murder of prison officer David Black on the M1 motorway in November 2012, police mounted an unprecedented surveillance operation against various factions as well making significant arrests.

omagh bomb, seamus daly, charged, psni, real ira

Seamus Daly charged Omagh Bomb 1998

A Co Monaghan man charged with the murders of the 29 men, women and children who died in the 1998 Omagh bombing is due in court this morning.

The victims of the Real IRA attack included a woman pregnant with twins. Hundreds more were injured.

Seamus Daly (43) was charged with the murders three days after he was arrested by detectives from the serious crime branch of the PSNI in Newry. He will appear at Dungannon Magistrate’s Court this morning. Below, Michael McKevitt, Real IRA leader.

In a statement the PSNI said: “He faces 29 murder charges relating to the blast on 15th August 1998, two charges in relation to the Omagh explosion and two charges in relation to an attempted explosion in Lisburn in April 1998 - a total of 33 charges.”

No-one has yet been convicted in a criminal court in any jurisdiction of the Omagh bombing which was the worst single paramilitary atrocity carried out during the Troubles.

Mr Daly was one of four men found liable in a civil case brought by 12 relatives of the dead. The others were Michael McKevitt, Liam Campbell, Colm Murphy.They were ordered by the court to pay £1.6 million in damages (€1.8 million).

Mr Daly, who has always denied involvement in the murders, successfully appealed the court finding. But a subsequent case also found him liable for the attack which was carried out four months after the conclusion of the Belfast Agreement.

Former Northern Ireland Policing Ombudsman Nuala O’Loan’s investigation in 2001 of the RUC’s handling of the Omagh case revealed a litany of errors, including loss of documents and evidence.Many of the families continue, with the support of Baroness O’Loan, to press for a full, independent inquiry into the bombing.

omagh bomb, seamus daly, charged, psni, real ira

Seamus McKenna, Continuity IRA, accident, dissident republicans, omagh bomb, sean mckenna, real ira

Seamus McKenna, Continuity IRA, accident, dissident republicans, omagh bomb, sean mckenna, real ira

New: Sean McKenna, Autobiography: Voice from the Grave

Seamus McKenna Funeral

17/7/2013: Thousands of Irish Republicans are gathering this morning for the funeral of Vol. Seamus McKenna, republicans from across Ireland have gathered in south Armagh and north Louth, to say farewell to a dedicated and staunch republican. The funeral has begun at the home of McKenna’s son Sean in the Armagh village of Silverbridge. The funeral procession will travel across the border to St Mary’s Church, Ravensdale for mass at 11am, with burial afterwards in the church cemetery.

Teams of uniformed and armed gardaí set up checkpoints on approach roads around 1km around Ravensdale and searched cars making their way to the funeral at St Mary’s Church. Gardaí also questioned mourners, took personal details and requested ID from many of those attending. The Garda Dog Unit is also at the scene and reinforcements from the Public Order Unit in Leinster Area are on standby. A Garda Helicopter is monitoring the funeral.

16/7/2013: Gardai are concerned that attempts will be made by dissident republican groups to stage a paramilitary display at Seamus’s funeral in Ravensdale, Dundalk, tomorrow. His remains were removed last night to his son's home from a funeral home in his native Silverbridge, Co Armagh. Seamus McKenna was born in Monaghan, and lived in Clara in North Monaghan until he was a teenager. The family then moved to O’Neill Avenue in Newry and later Seamus moved to Silverbridge and then Dundalk.

Seamus McKenna RIP 13/7/2013 (Sad news received after the article below was written)

Seamus McKenna, Óglaigh na hÉireann, has been seriously injured after falling from a school roof while working in County Louth. McKenna has been a life-long republican and member of the IRA, McKenna never faltered in his dedication to the Irish Republican Army and that dedication was within the ranks of the Continuity IRA since 1986, although Seamus would have assisted anyone opposed to the British occupation. Seamus is, at the time of writing, on a life support machine.

In 2003 Seamus was found in possession of 1,200Lb bomb near Dundalk and sentenced to six years in Portlaoise Prison, while the DPP appealed the sentence handed down, the Court of Criminal Appeal found that the sentence was appropriate due to McKenna’s previous lack of convictions.

Seamus McKenna's Father, Sean McKenna Snr was interned and tortured in 1970 and, both Sean and other men who had been interned and tortured would have their inhumane treatment declared as such by the European Commission (Now The European Court of Human Rights).

Seamus McKenna was named in a civil action taken by the families of victims of the Omagh bomb, however, the case against Seamus McKenna was dismissed and no evidence was adduced to secure either civil or criminal conviction. McKenna was named as allegedly one of the Real IRA team which transported the Omagh bomb into the County Tyrone town in August 1998. Twenty nine people, including the mother of unborn twins, were killed in the blast while hundreds more were badly injured.

A couple of weeks back when life-long republican Ruairi O Bradaigh was buried, Seamus reflected on the time that Sean McKenna Snr had been buried in Clara in North Monaghan, and Ruairi had given the oration. On that day Sean Jnr (who was on the run) had been preparing to fire a volley of shots over his Father’s coffin with his Father’s personal colt 45 revolver when he was attacked by agents of the state, the gun that Sean was carrying, went off and his uncle Patsy McKenna was shot in the leg by accident. 

Tragic Death of Sean McKenna

December, 2008

In December 2008 IRA Volunteer Sean McKenna died suddenly and goes now to rest after a life of dedication to the cause of Irish Freedom. Sean McKenna served many long hard years in Long Kesh and other British hell holes. When released from prison Sean McKenna was frail, having been on hunger strike and then being subjected to institutional torture in Long Kesh. 

Sean sought work with his cousin Vincent McKenna in Monaghan Mushrooms, and was happy working long hard hours to pay his way in the world. Sean later moved to his loved County Kerry, a county he truly enjoyed.

Sean McKenna died in 2008 at his home in Dundalk. Sean never fully recovered from his ordeal on the first H-Block hunger strike in 1980 which lasted for fifty three days. Sean was buried on Monday, 22nd December 2008, in Calvary cemetery, Ravensdale, County Louth, after Requiem Mass in nearby St Mary’s Church.

Republicans from across Ireland, including many former prisoners and surviving hunger strikers, attended the funeral.

Vol. Sean McKenna had been illegally arrested, along with his Father, and hundreds of others, by the British army on 9^th August, 1970. His father was one of the ‘hooded men’ and died whilst in his early forties as a result of being tortured. Father and son were both interned in Long Kesh. After his release Sean returned to active service but lived in County Louth at Edentubber.

On 12th March 1976 members of an SAS undercover team crossed the border and abducted Sean, again illegally, without any protest from the Dublin government at the breach of its sovereignty. Sean was sentenced in a Diplock Court and was on the blanket for several years prior to the hunger strike.

It was later alleged that the SAS who had kidnapped Sean McKenna was led by the infamous Captain Niarac, who was later executed by the IRA and his body never recovered. However, Sean McKenna was not able to confirm that Niarac was involved in his illegal kidnapping.

Below: Extract from soon to be published Autobiography of Vincent McKenna:

"The British Army also fell foul of the Catholic population when they were involved in rounding up thousands of innocent Catholics and interning them without trial. The vast majority of these people would never have supported terrorism; however, the internment camps became the recruiting ground of the IRA. Recent history reminds us that the British have learned little from their mistakes, to win a war you must win hearts and minds; you don’t achieve that through inhumanity and brutality. My Uncle Sean McKenna and his son Sean Jnr were interned without trial. The European Commission would later make findings that my Uncle Sean and his comrades were tortured by the British, Uncle Sean was one of the men who famously became known as the 10 Hooded Men, due to the fact that the British placed hoods on their heads while torturing them".

Internees Being taken onto the Maidstone Prison Ship

INTERNMENT

It was early morning on the 9^th of August 1970 that British soldiers launched operation Demetrius, the introduction of internment without trial. Internment had been employed by the Unionist Government at Stormont in every decade since the creation of the northern state as a means to suppress Republican opposition. In the 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s and 1960s republican suspects had been imprisoned without trial. As violence increased in 1970 the Unionist Government again came under increasing pressure to clamp down on the activities of the IRA. By August 1970 the Stormont Government had convinced the British Government that internment offered the best method of dealing with the increasing violence, and pointed to its repeated success in previous decades. In an attempt to reduce the expected nationalist outrage a ban on all parades was announced at the same time, aimed at defusing the potential for unrest that the Apprentice Boys parade on the 12th August posed.

The arrests were based on outdated lists containing 450 names provided by the RUC Special Branch; the British Army swept into nationalist areas of the north and arrested 342 men. The RUC intelligence, however, was hopelessly outdated and many of those arrested had no connections with the IRA. Others, although Republican minded, had not been active in decades. Others arrested included prominent members of the Civil Rights movement. In one instance in Armagh the British Army sought to arrest a man who had been dead for the past 4 years. It appears that the rapid radicalisation of much of the north’s nationalist community, and the RUC’s alienation from that community in the previous 2 years, had created a large intelligence gap in RUC files. Indeed, so out of date were the lists that within 48 hours 116 of those arrested were released. The remainder were detained at Crumlin Rd prison and the prison-ship The Maidstone.

No Loyalists were arrested in the operation, despite the fact that the UVF had been active since 1966. The first Protestant internees were not arrested until 2nd February 1973.

The Nationalist/Catholic community was outraged. This anger was reinforced when news of the treatment of the internees, particularly 11 men, including Sean McKenna, who became known as the "hooded men" became public. This anger took the form of increased support for the IRA and the commencement of a campaign of civil disobedience that enjoyed overwhelming support within the nationalist community.

Concern from the public at the treatment of many of the internees led to the establishment of the Compton Commission, which reported in November 1971. This report concluded that whilst detainees had suffered ill treatment this did not constitute brutality or torture. Incidents of ill treatment included:

·     In-depth interrogation with the use of hooding, white noise, sleep deprivation, prolonged enforced physical exercise together with a diet of bread and water.

·         Deceiving detainees into believing that they were to be thrown from high flying helicopters, in reality the blindfolded detainees were thrown from a helicopter that hovered approximately 4 feet above the ground.

·         Forcing detainees to run an obstacle course over broken glass and rough ground whilst being beaten by British soldiers.

The botched arrests and stories of brutality escaping from the internment centres and the reintroduction of internment, which was viewed as a form of communal punishment and humiliation, unleashed a wave of violence across the north, with practically no military gains to offset the impact internment had on the entire nationalist community.

In Belfast the IRA held a press conference on the 13th August at which Joe Cahill, the Officer Commanding the IRA in Belfast, claimed that internment had had no noticeable effect on IRA structures and the campaign would continue. The statistics add weight to his words. In the remainder of August 1971 35 people were killed, 1 more than the total for the previous 7 months, and c. 7,000 Catholic families had fled across the border. By the year’s end 139 people had been killed since the introduction of internment.

Non-violent opposition to internment  was marked by a number of rallies and marches were planned. On Christmas Day 1971 c. 4,000 protestors attempted to march from Belfast to Long Kesh. This march was blocked before reaching its destination on the M1 motorway and dispersed. On the 22nd January another protest march took place at Magilligan Strand, not far from Derry City.

This protest was blocked by the British Army and dispersed with violence, in which members of the Parachute Regiment were prominent. The next anti-internment rally was planned for Derry, on Sunday 30th January 1972.

Peter butterly murder, real ira, the ira, dissident republicans, shamrock rovers, eddie mcgrath

Peter butterly murder, real ira, the ira, dissident republicans, shamrock rovers, eddie mcgrath

Shamrock Rovers concern: A dissident gunman who was arrested following the murder of RIRA chief Peter Butterly in Meath is the current manager of Shamrock Rovers U-18s team. Eddie McGrath (31) was one of five men arrested in the car park of the Huntsman Inn, Gormanstown, Co. Meath, minutes after Butterly was gunned down in cold blood.

On Friday, dad-of-three Butterly - a former RIRA leader in Louth - was buried in a low-key ceremony without any paramilitary trappings. Butterly had recently been expelled from the dissident organisation by the Northern-based leadership for allegedly pocketing RIRA funds. It is alleged that Alan Ryan’s Real IRA gang in Dublin had failed to hand over up to 200K to the newly named IRA.

Charged

Last Saturday, Tallaght man McGrath was charged with the unlawful possession of a 9mm calibre Beretta handgun and ammunition. The suspected dissident was also charged with membership of an illegal organisation styling itself on the IRA. McGrath's arrest has sent shock waves through Shamrock Rovers, where he is on the coaching staff.

In 2005, he was a member of the fans' '400 club', who rescued Rovers from financial ruin by buying the soccer club. The photograph shows McGrath, from Land Dale Lawns in Tallaght, coaching a Shamrock Rovers team. McGrath remains a member of the club, is currently employed as the manager of club's U-18 squad and has previously been involved in coaching schoolboy teams.

A source said McGrath's arrest has "stunned" Shamrock Rovers, who did not know the coach was involved with dissidents. "He was a big supporter of Celtic and liked singing rebels songs but that's it," said a source.

"Eddie has been a dedicated member of the club for a long number of years."

On Thursday, McGrath was one of three Dublin men remanded in custody for an extra week in connection with the Butterly shooting. Both David Cullen, from Brackenwood Ave in Balbriggan, and Dean Evans (22), from Grange Park Rise, Raheny, were also brought before the Special Criminal Court. The three men had been charged in connection with the shooting at a special sitting of the non-jury court last Saturday night.

Evans and McGrath were each charged with the unlawful possession of a 9mm-calibre Beretta semi-automatic pistol and seven rounds of ammunition with intent to endanger life. They were also each charged with membership of an illegal organisation styling itself the IRA on March 6. Cullen was charged with the unlawful possession of a 9mm-calibre Beretta semi-automatic pistol.

A Spokesperson for Shamrock Rovers said anyone working with the club has to undergo rigorous garda vetting. "Shamrock Rovers has over 400 members. However, most have no involvement in the running of the football club apart from attending AGMs and contributing their monthly membership fee. Along with that, we have 3,000 season ticket holders.

"Shamrock Rovers also has over 100 volunteers who help the club in a number of different ways, from our schoolboy section, to match-day activities, to selling tickets. Those volunteering in our schoolboy section are Garda-vetted for the protection of the young people they work with."

However, Garda vetting is only related to actual convictions, 96% of persons who abuse children are never convicted, and someone with a terrorist conviction would not be banned from working with children.

Butterly (35) - a former commander for the RIRA in Co. Louth - was blasted in the chest and head in the pub's car park last Wednesday. The Gardai's elite Emergency Response Unit (ERU) arrived at the scene within minutes and arrested five men in a number of cars at the scene. It is believed that Gardai had the suspected dissidents under surveillance and had been monitoring the meeting between the group and Butterly.

However, they had no advance knowledge of a shooting. Butterly's murder is just the latest shooting in a bitter internal battle for control of the so-called new IRA.

On Saturday 16/3/2013, Butterly was laid to rest following a dignified funeral mass in his home parish in Co Louth. Hundreds of mourners turned out to pay tribute to the dad-of-three at his funeral mass Saint Colmcille's Church,Togher. His body was carried into the church in a coffin which had not been draped in the Tricolour - in stark contrast to the practice at most dissident republican funerals.

During the service, one of his daughters fought back tears and was comforted by Butterly's wife Eithne. Butterly is survived by his wife, his parents, Vera and Matt, and children Aoife, Ciara and Matthew. Unlike Alan Ryan's funeral last year, there was no visible sign yesterday of any paramilitary display at the funeral.

martin mcguinness death threat, dissident republicans, real ira, the ira, sinn fein

martin mcguinness death threat, dissident republicans, real ira, the ira, sinn fein

Police have warned Northern Ireland's Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness of a "real and active" threat against his life from dissident republicans.

Mr McGuinness said detectives have linked the development to his condemnation of a mortar bomb find in his native Derry on Sunday night and other remarks he made in support of the PSNI.

He said he was informed of the threat by a senior PSNI officer last night.

Mr McGuinness insisted that he would not be silenced by the dissidents.

He said: "Both myself and the PSNI are taking this threat seriously.

"However there are times when in political leadership staying silent is not an option, and I will not be silenced by threats like this."

He said he would "defend the peace process from attack from whatever quarter, be it these groups or the loyalist flag protesters over recent months".

"It says much about the mentality of those controlling groups like the one behind the threat that in their warped logic threatening Irish republicans and their families somehow advances the cause of Irish reunification.

"I am very sure of the ground I stand on.

“I am also very sure that it is the path shared by republicans across this island genuinely interested in building a new agreed Ireland, republicans who put Ireland before ego, criminality and self gain."

The death threat is the latest in a recent spate against politicians in Northern Ireland.

Elected representatives from across the political divide have been subject to similar intimidation, from extremists on both sides, during the ongoing Union flag controversy in Northern Ireland.

Yesterday, SDLP Assembly member Conall McDevitt said he had received a bullet and sympathy card in the post.

Mr McDevitt, a south Belfast representative, also said he would not be deterred by the development.

peter butterly, meath shooting, real ira, dissident republicans, alan ryan, meath gardai

peter butterly, meath shooting, real ira, dissident republicans, alan ryan, meath gardai

Five men remain in Garda custody this morning in connection with the fatal shooting of a member of the Real IRA in a pub car park in Co Meath yesterday.

Peter Butterly (35), a father of three from Cortown, Togher, Dunleer, Co Louth, was shot dead in the car park of the Huntsman Inn in Gormanston at about 2.30pm while under surveillance by armed gardaí.

A postmortem is due to take place today at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda.

Mr Butterly was due to stand trial next Wednesday on charges of membership of an illegal organisation, namely the Real IRA. He was free on bail.

He had gone to the car park for a meeting with others from the Real IRA, of which he was a regional commander.

However, the Real IRA has been feuding internally since the shooting dead of key figure Alan Ryan last September. Yesterday the group of men turned on Mr Butterly as part of that feud and shot him as he sat in his car in the pub car park. He staggered from the vehicle, then collapsed and died.

Members of the Emergency Response Unit were in the immediate vicinity, keeping Mr Butterly under surveillance because his life had been threatened, and also to gather information on whom he was meeting.

After he was shot, four suspects in their 20s fled in a car but were stopped by gardaí at the Balscadden Road not far from the pub. A fifth man, in his 40s, was arrested nearby. A handgun was recovered.

Paramilitary funeral
The suspects are from Coolock and parts of north Co Dublin. They knew Alan Ryan and some were among a group arrested in relation to the show of paramilitary strength at his funeral in Donaghmede, north Dublin, last September.

Mr Butterly’s remains were yesterday examined at the scene by Deputy State Pathologist Dr Khalid Jabbar.

Mr Butterly had been before the Special Criminal Court last March charged with Real IRA membership arising from his suspected transportation of bomb components in 2010.

The warrant used to gather evidence against him was ruled unconstitutional and charges were not pursued.

He was due to stand trial next Wednesday on a new charge of membership of an illegal organisation.

man shot dead meath, gormanstown shooting, real ira, dissident republicans

man shot dead meath, gormanstown shooting, real ira, dissident republicans

A man has been shot dead in Co Meath this afternoon in an attack believed to be linked to the activities of the Real IRA.

The incident occurred just after 2.30pm in Gormanston in the car park of the Huntsman Inn.

The dead man is in his mid 30s and is from Dunleer, Co Louth.

He has recently been before the Special Criminal Court charged with membership of an illegal organisation but the case collapsed after a key warrant used during the Garda investigation was ruled unconstitutional in an unrelated case.

He was being investigated for allegedly transporting bomb making equipment in 2010 but the evidence gathered under the warrant could not be used and the case collapsed.

Gardaí have arrested a number of men in the aftermath of the shooting. They are being detained under Section 30 of the Offences against the State Act at Garda stations in Dublin.

The investigation into the fatal shooting is being conducted from Laytown Garda station.

http://dissidentrepublicans.blogspot.ie/2012/03/real-ira-case-collapses.html