Man arrested over fatal gangland shooting in Dublin

A man has been arrested in connection with the gangland-style shooting of a man in Dublin last night - the seventh such killing in the State this year.

Father-of-one Aidan Byrne (33) from Oriel Street in Dublin north inner-city was shot at least six times in the passenger seat of a dark grey Toyota Corolla at around 8.30pm.

Byrne served a five year sentence for the rape of two prostitutes in a brothel in Capel Street in the 1990s. He was also implicated in an attempted robbery at Cocoon, the now defunct nightclub which was owned by Formula One driver Eddie Irvine.

The shooting happened in a housing estate in Drumalee Avenue just off the North Circular Road.

The car Byrne was in was parked at the end of a cul-de-sac.

Gardaí believe that a lone gunman was waiting for Byrne and that he was lured to his death.

Gardaí are now looking for the gunman who was seen running down a laneway which leads on to Drumalee Park and from there on to Aughrim Street.

He is described as being between 5 feet 9 inches and 6 feet in height and of thin build. He was wearing a grey hoody-style top and jeans or a grey tracksuit bottoms.

Byrne was taken to the Mater hospital where he later died. A post mortem was carried out by the deputy state pathologist Dr Michael Curtis this afternoon and the results have been given to gardaí.

Garda spokesman Supt John Gilligan said : “We’re looking for anybody who has seen anything in the Drumalee Park or Drumalee Avenue area, Prussia Street or Aughrim Street.

“This shooting was carried out in a busy housing estate on a Saturday evening. At that time of the evening there would be people coming home from the city having been out all day, people going out for the evening and possibly taxi men coming and going delivering things to the estate.

“Anyone in the area who may have seen something even prior to that might be important because we believe the person was laying in wait for the victim.”

Supt Gilligan said there was a “good community spirit” in Drumalee Avenue and he was hopeful that locals would co-operate in the investigation.

Gardaí said later that a man in his late 20s had been arrested and is currently being detained at the Bridewell Garda station under Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act 2007.

An incident room has been set up at Bridewell Garda Station at 01 6668200 or on the Garda Confidential Line.