Gardaí investigating the murder of a Limerick bouncer almost three years ago arrested 10 people yesterday morning in a series of dawn raids across the city.
Six women and four men were arrested at various locations around the city between 6am and 7.30am, in what is the biggest single swoop by gardaí investigating the murder of 34-year-old Brian Fitzgerald.
The father of two was shot dead in the early hours of November 29th, 2002, outside his Corbally home in Limerick as he returned from Doc's nightclub in the city, where he worked as head of security.
It is understood Mr Fitzgerald was targeted by a southside criminal gang after he refused them entry into the nightclub to sell drugs.
He was shot three times in the body by a gunman who then shot him in the back of the head, execution-style, before fleeing the scene on a motorcycle driven by an associate of the southside gang.
The gunman was contracted by the leader of the gang, and it is believed he was paid up to €15,000 to carry out the killing.
Gardaí managed to retrieve the handgun used in the murder after it was thrown into the Mulcair river on the outskirts of the city.
Last November three men were sentenced to a total of 26 years in London after being convicted of supplying weapons, including the firearm used to kill Brian Fitzgerald, to Limerick gangs.
Gardaí would not comment on the significance of those arrested yesterday and refused to be drawn on whether or not the chief suspect was among those in custody. However, it would appear the investigation is on the verge of a major breakthrough, following yesterday morning's swoop and other arrests last month.
All 10 people arrested yesterday were being questioned last night at Garda stations in Limerick city and county, where they were detained under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act, which enables them to be held for up to three days.
These latest developments in the investigation into Brian Fitzgerald's murder will undoubtedly be welcomed by his family, who were outraged following a decision by the DPP not to bring charges against the key figures in the murder after being sent a major file by gardaí in Limerick.
However, it would appear that significant progress has since been made in relation to this investigation.
Before his death, Brian Fitzgerald had been subjected to a major campaign of intimidation.
Just under a year before he was murdered his seven-year-old son, Aaron, was lucky to escape injury when a shot was fired into the front sittingroom of his family's home while he was playing beside the Christmas tree.
Paint was also daubed on Brian Fitzgerald's jeep some months later.
His violent death horrified local people, and a candlelit vigil was held for him through the streets of Limerick.