THE man shot dead in a central Dublin pub last evening may have been the victim of a revenge contract killing.
John Reddan, in his mid forties, who was well known to gardai and had contacts with many Dublin criminals, was drinking with friends in the Blue Lion public house in Parnell Street at 6.30 p.m. when a lone gunman shot him in the head at close range.
Reddan stabbed to death Sean McNeill (23), from Darndale in north Dublin, outside a disco in Coolock on St Valentine's night last year.
Gardai arrested Reddan, a well known Dublin criminal figure, within days of the stabbing. A file was prepared by detectives at Coolock Garda Station and submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions almost a year ago. A decision to charge Reddan was still awaited by gardai.
Gardai believe last night's killing was in revenge for the killing of Mr McNeill.
According to a Blue Lion customer, who did not want to be named, a man wearing a motorcycle helmet walked into the pub, went towards the lavatory before returning and walking back into the bar.
"He walked up to Reddan and shot him in the side of the head, then walked off. As he was walking out he started waving the gun around at us and everybody just dived on the ground.
The eyewitness said Reddan was sitting with friends near the bar. He said Reddan fell on to the floor and appeared to be dead.
Reddan was originally from the north inner city but had moved to Finglas. According to sources in the north inner city, Reddan was still well known in the area and involved in criminal activity but was not a drugs dealer.
Gardai confirmed last night that Reddan had been "known" to them for more than 20 years. They said he was an active criminal involved in various types of crime and had been connected, over the past 20 years, with several of the major criminal gangs.
He stabbed Mr McNeill to death after a row at Tiffany's Nightclub in Coolock.
According to Garda sources last night, Reddan's murder and the stabbing were "more than likely associated"
The style of last evening's killing and the fact that a handgun was used suggested that a professional assassin was responsible.
The gunman was accompanied by an associate who waited at the door of the pub and then drove away in the direction of Summerhill. Gardai later found the motorcycle, which was abandoned on Sean O'Casey Road, about a quarter mile from the pub.
The killing bears similarities to a number of others in Dublin in recent years and which are believed to be the work of professional gunmen, who carry out "contract" killings for money.
The Blue Lion public house, a two storey building about 100 yards from the northern end of O'Connell Street, quickly cleared of patrons after the killing.