A man in his 20s has been shot dead in a pub in Cabra, Dublin. The shooting happened in the Cabra House on Fassaugh Avenue, known locally as the Oasis.
The incident happened at about 7.15pm at the pub in the centre of a row of shops in the area. The victim was drinking in the pub when it is understood a man entered the premises, walked up to him and fired a number of shots.
Gardaí, who are seeking to interview those in the pub at the time, said two men in dark clothing were seen leaving the scene on a motorcycle.
Locals were reluctant to talk to reporters. One neighbour, however, said: “I heard the commotion outside and then saw a motorbike take off.”
About 20 people were in the pub at the time, according to the neighbour.“People in the pub threw pints at him and beer bottles to stop him but he shot him”, and then left.
Another local said he thought only one man was on the motorcycle.
One person said the man who shot the victim wore a balaclava.
The victim was known to gardaí and had a number of previous convictions, including for violent assault and drug offences. He is understood to have been released recently from prison.
Gardaí have declined to confirm the man’s name until all relatives have been informed. However, he was named locally as Paul Cullen.
Emergency services were called and attempts were made to resuscitate the man, but he was pronounced at the scene.
The victim lived in a house almost directly opposite the pub on Fassaugh Avenue. A number of people stood at the door of the house while a group of people stood outside another house drinking tea, but they declined to talk to reporters.
The man’s body remained at the scene late last night while a preliminary examination was carried out at the pub.
Fianna Fáil councillor Mary Fitzpatrick said she was shocked at the shooting. “This is a truly awful event and the people of Cabra are horrified,” she said.
Chairwoman of the Dublin Central Joint Policing Committee, Cllr Fitzpatrick said Minister for Justice Alan Shatter “needs to wake up and realise that the gardaí are fighting serious crime and deserve to be provided with adequate resources to tackle serious crime”.
