The Dublin criminal Martin Foley was said to be making a good recovery in hospital yesterday after being shot on Tuesday evening, in the fourth attempt on his life.
It has emerged that one of the gunmen fired at his head from point-blank range but Foley ducked and suffered only a graze wound. He then ran back towards the swimming pool in Terenure College, where he had been swimming earlier.
As he ran, the gunmen fired at least five shots, three of which hit him in the legs. He still managed to get into the building and the two gunmen sped off on a motorcycle. Senior garda sources said the reason for the attack was not clear as Foley, a career criminal in his early 50s, has "many enemies".
However, it is known the last attempt on his life came from the Provisional IRA.
Two IRA members were arrested just before Easter when gardai intercepted an attack on Foley's life and recovered a handgun at Walkinstown roundabout in Dublin.
Foley had returned to Dublin this year after living for a number of years in Co Kildare. This followed two previous attempts on his life in the mid-1990s.