Gardai investigating the murder of a violent minor criminal figure from north inner Dublin have not ruled out the possibility that he was shot by members of a republican paramilitary group. Gerard Moran (35) died from injuries he received when he was shot twice in the thigh and leg at close range with a sawn-off shotgun on November 21st. He was approached by a lone gunman while working as a take-away delivery man.
A bogus call to the Chinese take-away restaurant where Mr Moran worked had been made from someone who gave a bogus mobile telephone number. Mr Moran was shot when he arrived at St Joseph's Avenue in Drumcondra. He suffered severe haemorrhaging and shock and died two days later in hospital.
The death has posed a significant problems for detectives as, according to local gardai, Mr Moran had a "very long list" of enemies. He was described as "extremely violent and volatile".
He was suspected of being involved in drug peddling but only in a minor way and is believed to have abused cocaine as well as body-building drugs.
Local officers say he was frequently involved in fights and had a number of personal vendettas in the north inner city. An Post stopped delivering mail to Hardwicke Street flats for almost two years largely because of his threats to their staff. Mail deliveries to the flats resumed shortly after his death. During this year Mr Moran also had a number of confrontations with local anti-drugs activists and was arrested by gardai after he and a group of men threatened anti-drugs activists. He was due to appear in court in relation to this incident later this month.
There have been at least 20 other shooting incidents in Dublin during the year and, although most are believed to involve drug gang members shooting at each other, in some instances IRA members have used firearms in threats against drug dealers and other criminals.