Gardai in Limerick yesterday uncovered a massive cache of weapons which they believe were destined for use by one of the factions involved in the ongoing feud in the city.
The find included a booby-trap car bomb, a sub-machinegun and assorted ammunition. Gardai said a number of other items, as yet unidentified, had also been seized and searches of the area were continuing last night. It is believed the weapons were to be used by one of the factions involved in the gang violence linked to the alleged abduction of Eddie and Kieran Ryan, and the murder of rival gang member Kieran Keane earlier this year.
"These weapons were destined for one of the sides in the feud and were probably obtained from the Continuity IRA," said one garda source.
Limerick TD Mr Peter Power (FF) last night said the latest find was "an alarming development" which underlined the continued need for the Emergency Response Unit (ERU) in the city.
The weapons were seized at a house on the Patrickswell Road just outside Limerick city yesterday by members of the Garda ERU and local detectives. The ERU was deployed in Limerick in late January after the feud intensified.
During two weeks of violence following the alleged abduction of the Ryans, Kieran Keane was abducted and shot dead on a roadside in Drombana, just outside Limerick. His nephew, Owen Treacy, was stabbed repeatedly during the same attack but survived. A number of petrol bomb attacks on houses followed.
Four men were arrested in Lockmore, Co Limerick at around 3.30 p.m. yesterday following the arms find. One of them, in his 60s, is a key member of one faction.
Two other men, in their 30s, and a third man in his 40s were also being detained. The men were being held under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act at Henry Street and Roxboro garda stations.
Yesterday's find came at a time of continuing tension. Last Wednesday, the rival gangs clashed outside a fast-food restaurant on the Ennis Road.
Iron bars, snooker cues, a wheel brace and baseball bats were seized by members of the garda sub-aqua unit who happened to be in the restaurant at the time.