Gardaí investigating the murder of a 28-year-old man in west Dublin on Friday believe he may have been killed by a drugs gang suspected of killing a 23-year-old man in the area less than two weeks ago.
The killings were the first two gangland style murders of the year.
A well-known criminal from west Dublin currently out on bail is the prime suspect for both murders. The victim of the latest murder has been named as 28-year-old Thomas McDonagh, a father of one. He was shot dead outside his house at St Mark's Crescent, Clondalkin, at 9.35pm on Friday.
A lone gunman approached him and fired a number of shots from a handgun as Mr McDonagh stood close to his parked blue BMW.
The victim was hit three times, once in the head and twice in the upper body.
He was taken by ambulance to the nearby Tallaght Hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival. The gunman is believed to have fled the murder scene on foot in the direction of St Mark's Avenue.
Gardaí believe the dead man probably knew his killer and may have arranged to meet him outside the house to discuss drug-dealing activities.
While Mr McDonagh was not a well-known major drug dealer, he was known to gardaí locally for his involvement in a network of drug dealers based in the Clondalkin area.
A settled Traveller, he had been living with his partner and child at the St Mark's Crescent address for around two years. Gardaí are now examining links between his murder and that of Damien Dowdall on the evening of Tuesday January 23rd.
He was shot in the head by two men who called to his home on Lealand Road, Clondalkin, while he was watching television at about 10.15pm. His partner, Debbie Quinn, was in the house at the time of the murder.
Immediately after the killing gardaí said Dowdall was not known to them, had no convictions and had never been arrested for questioning in relation to any criminal activity.
However, it was known that he associated with a number of Clondalkin drug dealers.
He was a printer by trade but had lost his job in the period before his death. Investigations since the murder have revealed he may have become involved in a relatively minor way in the drug-dealing activities of his associates.
Gardaí are still unsure as to the specific motive for the killing, but believe it may be related to the seizure of a quantity of cocaine that Dowdall had helped to store or transport. Officers believe the cocaine was owned by the Clondalkin gang led by the man currently out on bail. They believe the victim of Friday's shooting was also working for this group.
Senior Garda sources said the murder investigation was still at an early stage but they are working on the theory that, like Mr Dowdall, Mr McDonagh may have been killed by the same men over missing drugs or a drug debt.
The chief suspect in ordering or arranging both killings is in his mid-20s, from Clondalkin and has a number of serious criminal convictions.
As well as being the key figure in the Clondalkin gang he is closely linked to a number of Dublin men now living in Co Kildare who are regarded as among the biggest suppliers of the west Dublin drugs trade.
Supt Mark Curran of Ronanstown Garda station appealed to any witnesses who may have been in the St Mark's Crescent area between 9pm and 10pm on Friday night to contact Ronanstown gardaí on (01) 6667700.