Following three acquittals and one conviction for the murder of Limerick nightclub doorman Brian Fitzgerald, Conor Lally, Crime Correspondent, looks at the links between those involved in recent serious crime in the city.
Limerick's gangland feud began in earnest in 2001 when Eddie Ryan Snr (41) was shot dead by his former drug-dealing boss Kieran Keane. Since then seven other men have lost their lives in gun murders directly linked to the feuding.
The feud, broadly speaking, has involved the Keane-Collopy gang going up against members of the extended Dundon-McCarthy family, who have links with the Campions and the 50-year-old Clare business man Anthony Kelly. He was acquitted, along with two Dundons, Desmond and John, this week of killing Limerick doorman Brian Fitzgerald.
Gary Campion (24) was convicted on Thursday of the Brian Fitzgerald killing. Englishman James Martin Cahill confessed to being the gunman and was jailed for life two years ago for the murder.
Who's who: the figures involved
The Dundon-McCarthys
Kenneth DundonA 48-year-old settled Traveller, he survived a murder attempt in Limerick in April 1990. He was extradited to the UK two years ago and is currently serving six years there for a stabbing manslaughter outside a London pub in 2003. His sons have come to the attention of gardaí for serious criminality. They are:
Wayne DundonThe 29-year-old threatened to kill 19-year-old barman Lee Ryan when he refused to serve Dundon's 14-year-old sister in December 2004. Less than half an hour later, a gunman walked into the pub and wounded Ryan twice. The bar was torched six months later. When arrested following the death threat, Dundon assaulted two gardaí. He once mooned at a judge when applying for the return of a bullet-proof vest. He was eventually jailed for 10 years for threatening to kill Lee Ryan.
John DundonThe 27-year-old was acquitted last week of Brian Fitzgerald's murder. However, he remains in prison serving a four-year sentence. He was jailed after threatening to kill Owen Treacy, whose evidence led to five of Dundon's associates being jailed for life for the murder of Kieran Keane.
Dessie DundonAged 23, he was serving a life sentence for the 2003 murder of leading Limerick gangland figure Kieran Keane when acquitted of Brian Fitzgerald's murder on Thursday. He has convictions for assault and larceny.
Anthony "Noddy" McCarthy(25) of Fairgreen, Limerick, is a cousin of the Dundon brothers. He is currently serving life for the murder of Kieran Keane. McCarthy also has convictions for drug possession, affray and riot, and assault (of a prison officer).
James McCarthyThe 27-year-old from Delmege Park, Moyross, is another cousin of the Dundon brothers. He too was part of the gang that killed Kieran Keane and is serving life for that offence. A father of two, he has 14 other convictions, including two for drug possession.
The Kellys
Anthony KellyThe 50-year-old from Kilrush, Co Clare, was one of the men acquitted this week of the murder of Brian Fitzgerald. He settled with the Criminal Assets Bureau in 1997 for a substantial six-figure sum relating to his earnings from drug trafficking. In February 1984 he was convicted of living off the earnings of prostitution. He survived a murder attempt in August 2003 despite being wounded four times. He is a director of a Clare-based import-export firm and has business interests in China and continental Europe.
Richard KellyThe 20-year-old, with an address at Watergreenhill, Cork, is the son of Anthony Kelly. He was sentenced on Thursday to five years in prison at Ennis Circuit Court after he was convicted of illegally possessing two shotguns in April.
James KellyThe 26-year-old, with an address at Leadmore East, Kilrush, Co Clare, is a nephew of Anthony Kelly. Along with his cousin, Richard Kelly, he was convicted on Thursday of illegally possessing one double barrel and one single barrel shotgun in Kilrush in April. He was sentenced to four years.
The Campions
Gary CampionThe 24-year-old from Pineview Gardens, Moyross, was the only man convicted this week of Brian Fitzgerald's murder. He drove the motorbike for the gunman, James Martin Cahill (who admitted the murder and was sentenced to life two years ago). Campion is currently awaiting trial for another gangland murder. He was convicted in May 2005 of threatening to have a prison officer killed.
Noel CampionLike his brother Gary Campion, he was in the wider drugs gang whose members have been convicted of the Brian Fitzgerald and Kieran Keane murders (though he played no part in either crime). Campion, formerly of Pineview Gardens, Moyross, was aged 34 when he was shot dead in April. He was gunned down by his own gang members because he was trying to set up his own drugs business. He was a convicted armed robber.
William CampionThe 38-year-old is a brother of Noel and Gary Campion. He is serving life for the murder of a pensioner. Patrick "Paud" Skehan, a 68-year-old bachelor farmer from Bridgetown, Co Clare, died from his injuries two months after Campion robbed him at his home. He was found beaten and unconscious, bound with cable wire and hanging upside down from the stairs banisters.
The Keanes
Kieran KeaneThe 36-year-old former leader of Limerick's biggest crime gang, he was stabbed six times and shot in the head in 2003. Two years before his own murder, he shot dead his former drug-dealing associate Eddie Ryan Snr in Limerick city's Moose Bar. That killing was the first feud-related murder in the city.
Christie KeaneThe 46-year-old with an address at Singland Gardens, Ballysimon, is a brother of Kieran Keane and, with him, once controlled most of Limerick's drug market. However, in 2001 he was caught with a large quantity of drugs. He was convicted and is currently serving 10 years.
Liam KeaneThe 23-year-old son of Christie Keane. In 2001 he was charged with the stabbing murder of Limerick teenager Eric Leamy. Keane walked free from the Central Criminal Court after witnesses said they could not stand over their statements. It later emerged that Keane's uncle, Kieran, had offered one of the witnesses €30,000 not to testify and had also threatened him with a gun, telling him: "If you make a statement I'll kill you . . . I'll take you away in the boot of a car."
Joseph KeaneThe 19-year-old son of murdered Kieran Keane, he is currently serving six years for manslaughter. He was part of a gang that kicked to death 18-year-old Limerick man Darren Coughlan, in November 2005, in a case of mistaken identity. When being led away to start his sentence, he winked at onlookers.
The Collopys
Brian CollopyThe 34-year-old of Fedamore, Co Limerick, was an associate of Kieran Keane. Collopy's house was seized by the Criminal Assets Bureau two years ago as settlement for a €470,000 bill for unpaid taxes relating to income from his drug-dealing activities. He was the subject of at least one murder attempt by the gang that killed Kieran Keane. He was shot and wounded last December.
Philip CollopyThe 27-year-old from St Ita's Street, St Mary's Park, Limerick, is a brother of Brian Collopy. He was one of the men, along with his other brother Kieran Collopy, that Kieran Keane (their associate) was asked to lure to a meeting the night Keane was killed in January 2003 so they could be killed with Keane. He was jailed for two years for feud-related violent disorder in 2003.
Raymond CollopyThe 37-year-old from St Ita's Street, St Mary's Park, is a brother of Brian, Philip and Kieran. He was jailed for years, for violent disorder relating to the same feud-related gang fight in Limerick in 2003 his brother Philip was involved in.
The Ryans
Eddie Ryan SnrThe 41-year-old, of Hogan Avenue, Killeely, was a former enforcer for the Keane gang. However, he tried to set up his own drugs business and in November 2001 tried to kill Christie Keane but the gun jammed. Days later he was shot dead in the Moose Bar in the city. The chief suspect in the killing was Kieran Keane. Ryan Snr had a conviction for manslaughter.
Eddie Ryan JnrThe 24-year-old is the son of Eddie Ryan Snr. He was "kidnapped", along with his brother Kieran, in January 2003 by the gang who murdered Kieran Keane days later. The gang offered to kill the Ryans for Keane (who feared they would one day shoot him in revenge for killing their father). But when Keane went to meet them he was killed and the Ryans were released unharmed.
Kieran RyanThe 23-year-old was charged in 2003 with stabbing Liam Keane. However, Keane told the trial he could not identify him and the case was dismissed. Later that night, in January 2003, he was "kidnapped" along with his brother Eddie Jnr. Kieran Ryan is currently serving six years for violent disorder arising from a feud-related gang fight in 2003.
John RyanThe 47-year-old brother of Eddie Ryan Snr was shot dead in July 2003 while laying a patio at a house in Limerick city. He had previously been petrol-bombed out of his house. His killing was seen as revenge for the murder of Kieran Keane.