Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern said today he was concerned about possible dissident republican involvement in recent gun attack on a Dublin pub.
Three men were injured after a gunman carrying two handguns shot into crowd of people outside the Players Lounge in Fairview on Sunday night
The pub’s doorman, Warren Barrett (31) from Finglas, who was shot in the head, remained in a critical condition in Dublin’s Beaumont Hospital this evening.
Gardaí are exploring the possibility the attack may be linked to a feud between former republicans and other elements over security at bars and clubs in the city.
Speaking at the Department of Justice today, Mr Ahern condemned the incident as a "particularly horrific event" and urged anyone who had any information to come forward to the gardaí.
"We would always be worried about dissident activity and dissident involvement in any of these incidents. Obviously, I can't second guess the investigation but this incident isn't, I understand, the normal gangland crime type issue," he said.
Mr Ahern said gardaí were particularly concerned at the possibility of revenge attacks in the aftermath of the shooting.
"I have spoken to the Garda Commissioner a number of this about this incident and it is a particularly worrying one the way in which it happened," he said. "It just shows there are a number of people out there who are willing to take out people for relatively small issues from what I understand about this and a number of other ones in recent times.
"During the boom years we invested hugely in youth justice and youth diversion programmes in geographically disadvantaged areas but obviously there are still people out there who are will to come forward and murder people even for a relatively small issue which I understand has happened in the past," he said.
A second man, who was shot in the chest in the attack, was today described as critical but stable by the Mater hospital authorities.
Gardaí believe the doorman was the intended target of the attack and the two other injured men shot were bystanders.
The lone assailant, wearing a balaclava and brandishing two handguns, approached the pub at the junction of Fairview Strand and Philipsburgh Avenue on foot shortly before 12.30am.
Detectives are trying to establish whether the shooting is linked to a row which took place at the pub several weeks ago.
A burned-out car, which gardaí believe was used by the gunman, was found near Merrion Square a short time after the attack. The red Volkswagen Golf with stolen number plates (05-D-57078) was discovered on Verschoyle Court, off Mount Street.
Gardaí are studying CCTV footage from the pub and several of the surrounding premises.
At a briefing in Clontarf Garda station yesterday, Supt Joe O’Connor said the gunman fired up to six shots during the attack and that all three victims were shot outside the pub.
He said the suspect was about 172cm (5ft 8in) and was wearing dark clothes and a balaclava. Supt O’Connor appealed to anyone who may have seen the red Volkswagen car in the Fairview area or in the Verschoyle Court area to contact gardaí. “Somebody may also have seen the car travelling at excessive speed or being driven dangerously at some point between the two locations following the attack,” he said.
Detectives are examining CCTV footage from several locations across the city to try and establish what route the getaway car took from Fairview to Mount Street.
The scene of the shooting outside the pub on Fairview Strand was yesterday sealed off as members of the Garda Technical Bureau carried out a forensic examination.
One man, who lives near the pub, said he was woken in the night by the sound of “three or four rapid thuds”. When he went to his window to investigate, he saw two bodies lying in front of the pub and a third hunched in the porch area.
He described the scene as “horrendous”, with people crouching over victims, trying to comfort them, as they lay bleeding on the pavement. One woman said she was “disgusted and disturbed” that this type of violence could happen on her doorstep. “I’m frightened to even go out and post a letter,” she said.
Labour's justice spokesman Pat Rabbitte said the shooting showed the viciousness of the criminal class operating in our society. “While we may not know what, if anything, gave rise to this incident, we do know that as far as these thugs are concerned life is cheap, and anybody who gets in the way can be obliterated with ease,” Mr Rabbitte said.
Fine Gael’s Alan Shatter said incidents like this were contributing to widespread public fear that some parts of Dublin were now subject to gun law and not the rule of law. “Dublin is becoming more like 1920s prohibition era Chicago rather than a capital city where people can feel safe and secure,” he said.