Gareth Hutch Shot Dead

Gareth Hutch Shot Dead

The 35-year-old victim of today’s gangland murder has been named locally as Gareth Hutch, a nephew of Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch.

Gareth Hutch was previously cleared of attempted robbery charges related to an incident when criminal Gareth Molloy (27) was shot dead by a member of the Garda Emergency Response Unit (ERU) during a raid by a gang on a security van delivering cash to a supermarket in Lucan in May 2009.

The raiders were holding a sawn-off shotgun at a cash van worker’s head and demanding cash when gardai struck.

That busted cash-in-transit gang who have close links to the Hutch mob included convicted killer Derek ‘Del Boy’ Hutch (31) who was later given five years in jail for co-ordinating the botched cash van raid.

Another accused, Keith Murtagh (32) of Lower Sheriff Street, was jailed for eight years in July 2010. He was injured during the shootout with gardai in Lucan.

Murtagh has since been released and has survived two assassination attempts with the cartel including on Saturday morning in the Cherry Orchard area of Ballyfermot and last month in Sheriff Street when innocent victim Martin O’ Rourke (24) was shot in a case of mistaken identity.

Today Gareth Hutch was gunned down as he sat in a car outside the Avondale House Flats on North Cumberland Street in Dublin’s north inner city this morning.

The latest victim had been living at the Avondale House flats and the address was previously searched by gardaí as part of the investigation into the Regency Hotel shooting.

The victim was recently issued with a Garda Information Message warning him that his life was under threat.

Gardaí are investigating if a second man, also a relative of the Hutch family, was also injured in the attack.

The gunmen are reported to have fled the scene on foot after their getaway vehicle failed to start. They got into another vehicle nearby.

This is the eighth murder linked to the Hutch - Kinahan feud.

Witnesses described two gunmen leaving the scene, and that "three to six shots" were fired.

The scene is sealed off and a technical examination of the area is expected to take place.

Gardaí are appealing for anyone who was in the area of North Cumberland Street or may have information, to contact the Gardaí at Mountjoy Garda Station on 01 666 8600, the Garda Confidential Line 1 800 666 111 or any Garda Station.

Johnathan Dowdall, Sinn Fein, Arrested

Sinn Fein Councillor Arrested

Sinn Fein Councillor Jonathan Dowdall was arrested as he tried to board a flight to Dubai earlier this week by officers investigating the murder of David Byrne. His home on Navan Road Dublin had been raided as Gardai searched for any evidence to link Dowdall with the attack on The Regency Hotel that left David Byrne dead.

Mary Lou McDonald, Gerry Adams TD, Johnathan Dowdall

Dowdall is closely linked to senior members of Sinn Fein and his arrest will bring embarrassment to the already embattled Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams TD.

It is understood that Dowdall, who had just been served a Garda Information Message (GIM) that his life was under threat, had been under surveillance for months.

Johnathan Dowdall's House and BMW on The Navan Road Dublin

He is being quizzed about a weapons warehouse in north county Dublin where it is understood the guns used in the Regency Hotel attack were stored.

He is also being questioned about driving Gerry ‘the Monk’ Hutch around the country before the weapons were seized in Slane, in Co. Meath, last March.

The Irish Observer has learned that Dowdall quickly came to the attention of Gardai following The Regency murder as he was known to have the logistical network needed to support the Regency attack.

Johnathan Dowdall Arrested, Sinn Fein, Regency Hotel Attack, Hutch Gang

Patrick Hutch Charged David Byrne Murder

Patrick Hutch Charged David Byrne Murder

A 24-year-old man has appeared in court charged with the murder of David Byrne at the Regency Hotel in Dublin in February.

Patrick Hutch, from Champions Avenue in Dublin 1, was remanded in custody to appear again in court next week.

David Byrne, 33, from Raleigh Square in Crumlin, was shot dead at the Regency Hotel on 6 February as part of an ongoing feud between two criminal gangs, which has resulted in the deaths of six men.

Patrick Hutch is the brother of the first victim of the feud, Gary Hutch, who was shot dead in Spain last September.

Armed gardaí escorted Patrick Hutch from Ballymun Garda Station, where he has been questioned for the past five days, to the Courts of Criminal Justice for a special sitting of the Dublin District Court this evening.

Detective Sergeant Michael Mulligan gave evidence of arrest, charge and caution.

He told the court he arrested Patrick Hutch at 5.40pm and when he was charged with the murder of David Byrne, he made no reply.

There was no application for bail.

Judge Hugh O'Donnell granted him free legal aid and remanded Mr Hutch in custody to appear again in Clover Hill District Court on 25 May.

Weapons Find Larne, Dissident Republicans, The IRA

Weapons Find Larne

Ex-Assistant Chief Constable Alan McQuillan has said the munitions found buried at Capanagh Wood near Larne are a “very rare” find and he could not recall seeing more than one or two of the anti-personnel mines in his entire police career.

“They are designed that when they go off they fire ball bearings at extremely high speed and they’ll kill anyone within a radius of 100m, so these are horrific weapons and if you are deploying those in an urban environment, the risk not only to police officers but to the public is terrible,” he commented.

“It’s really bad to see that type of weapon here. It’s designed to take out large swathes of troops so it’s a really deadly weapon.”

Also stashed in the barrels buried in the ground was an Armour-piercing rocket; several pipe bombs, quantities of explosives, ammunition and associated component parts to construct a substantial number of explosive devices.

Police believe dissident republicans are behind the weapons stash and are investigating a link to a previous find of munitions at Carnfunnock Country Park in March.

The recovery of weapons is no doubt a setback for the dissidents but the former senior officer believes there could be more hides with ready to deploy devices.

“The sheer scale of it which indicates they have a substantial supply of weapons. Quite clearly there are still some people who are determined to continue on this campaign,” Mr McQuillan continued.

“I doubt it’s a one off, I’m sure they’ve got other hides elsewhere. I can’t believe that is all the stock, I can’t believe they just got two Claymores in, they probably have other devices in stock.

“The key issue is the intelligence, for the police and security services is to keep watching and keep on top of everything and keep doing everything they can to arrest those responsible and bring them before the courts.”

Speaking outside Stormont Castle, Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness welcomed the arms seizure and called on the public to do their part to face down the threat from dissidents.

“I want to pay tribute both the Garda Síochána and the PSNI for the way in which over recent times they have thwarted the activities of those whose design is to plunge our society, our community, this island back to the past,” he said.

“That isn’t going to happen and I think that anytime whenever arms of the nature that have been recovered in the forest in Antrim over recent days, I am very pleased and delighted.

“I do think that given that the police have said the public were responsible for reporting this to the police, it does place a huge responsibility on the people who don’t want their children or their grandchildren to be plunged into the past to cooperate with police on both sides of the borders to ensure that those who are still dedicated to the destruction of the peace process don’t succeed.”

The senior Sinn Féin (MI6 Agent) politician added that following the crisis at Stormont last year when a murder was linked to the supposedly-defunct Provisional IRA, it was important that politicians stand together against violence.

“We have to stand together as politicians in support of our community, the police services north and south to ensure that these people are not successful,” he concluded.

Weapons Find Larne, Dissident Republicans, The IRA

Michael Barr Funeral

Michael Barr Funeral Strabane

Fourteen people have been arrested at the Co Tyrone funeral of a dissident republican man who was shot dead in a Dublin city pub last month.

The men were arrested by the PSNI under the terrorism act and are being questioned about suspected membership of an illegal organisation, the IRA.

The funeral of Michael Barr, a 36-year-old father of five and a native of Strabane, has heard his death was “deliberate and evil.” He was shot dead in the Sunset House Bar on April 25th last.

There was a heavy security presence as more than 500 mourners attended Mr Barr’s funeral in Strabane in Co Tyrone. A known dissident republican, his death is believed to be linked to the Hutch/Kinihan crime feud.

His funeral cortege was accompanied by full republican military trappings as it was brought to St Mary’s Church in Melmount. A tri-colour as well as black gloves and a black beret rested on top of his coffin.

Members of Sigerson’s GAA Club from Strabane, a club which the late Mr Barr had played with, formed a guard of honour into the church. Another guard of honour was formed by another republican group wearing white shirts and black ties. Gardaí and the PSNI on both sides of the border at Lifford and Strabane stopped motorists and asked for identification while a PSNI helicopter circled overhead.

Among the leading mourners were Mr Barr’s mother and father, Martina and Colly as well as his partner Jade and the couple’s five children Tiarnan, Killian, Caitlín and his grandmother Theresa.

Parish priest Fr Michael Doherty sent a message of support to communities in Dublin living in fear of gangland crime. He said the community of Strabane was behind those facing the continuing violence on the streets of the capital.

Addressing mourners inside the church, Fr Doherty said he had known Mr Barr when he was a pupil at St Coleman’s High School where he excelled at both Gaelic football and hurling.

He said Strabane had known many people who had died before their time through accidents and suicide. But he said it had been a long time since someone from the community had died in such circumstances as Mr Barr and described his death as “deliberate and evil.”

He said himself and the wider community in Melmount wanted to show their support for the communities in Dublin which were now living in fear of organised crime.

He said he wanted to echo the Archbishop of Dublin, Diarmuid Martin’s call for the chain of hate and evil to be broken.

Among the gifts brought up to the altar during the offertory was a Gaelic football and a Sigersons GAA jersey.

After the funeral mass, Mr Barr’s remains were carried the short distance across the road to Melmount Cemetery for burial.

Members of those wearing military regalia saluted the coffin as Mr Barr’s remains were laid to rest.

Michael McKevitt Released, Real IRA, Omagh Bomb

Michael McKevitt Released

Michael McKevitt (65) has spent the past number of weeks on temporary release at his home in Blackrock, Co Louth.

However, he has now been formally released after his sentence expired on Sunday.

McKevitt was released from Portlaoise Prison where he served his sentence for directing terrorism and was also convicted of membership of an illegal organisation after being convicted in the Special Criminal Court in August 2003.

McKevitt, who has cancer, was one of four men found liable for the Omagh bombing in a civil action at Belfast High Court taken by relatives of the dead.

The Real IRA bomb killed 29 people and unborn twins on August 15, 1998.      

       

In a statement to the media, McKevitt denied having anything to do the atrocity.

“I had no involvement in the bombing whatsoever. I was stitched-up from the outset,” he said.

“Within days of the bombing, I said that I had no hand, act or part in the bombing and that remains my position.”

He added that the British presence in Ireland is “illegitimate”.

Michael McKevitt Released, Real IRA, Omagh Bomb

General Election Date, Election 2016, Fine Gael, Labour, Sinn Fein, Fianna Fail

General Election Date, Election 2016, Fine Gael, Labour, Sinn Fein, Fianna Fail

There are growing expectations among Government TDs and Senators that Taoiseach Enda Kenny will announce Friday 26th of February as the date of the election.

Mr Kenny is expected to divulge the date of the election to Tánaiste Joan Burton and ministerial colleagues tomorrow morning ahead of the Coalition’s final Cabinet meeting.

Gerry Adams TD with his Serial Rapist Brother Liam Adams

It remains uncertain if the Taoiseach will seek the dissolution of the Dáil tomorrow or Wednesday.

His colleagues said today they expect him to make the announcement in the Dáil before driving to Áras an Uachtaráin to make the formal request to President Michael D Higgins.

Minister for Agriculture and Defence Simon Coveney has said the Taoiseach has not shared his thinking on the election date with colleagues but that he expected him to disclose it tomorrow.

Sources close to the Government said the decision will definitely be made this week, with a polling date of either Thursday 25th February or Friday 26th February. The latter date is considered the most likely.

Holding the general election on a Thursday would run the risk of excluding many young voters from casting their preference, according to the National Youth Council of Ireland (NYCI).

The organisation has urged Government not to hold the upcoming election on a Thursday following speculation that polling day could be moved forward.

With an announcement of a date by the Taoiseach said to be imminent, there has been mounting speculation that some within Fine Gael favour a Thursday election due to the likelihood that tens of thousands of potentially sympathetic voters will be leaving for London on Friday to follow the Ireland rugby team for its game against England that weekend.

Labour deputy leader Alan Kelly has publicly expressed his preference for a Friday vote amid suggestions that the question of a date is causing tension between the coalition partners.

NYCI president Ian Power said: “Excellent work was done in 2015, particularly leading up to the marriage equality referendum - and so far in 2016 - to get thousands of young people registered. A Thursday election would undermine this and prevent many from casting their vote.”

He said: “For the 2011 general election, the youth voter turnout was 62 per cent, up 12 per cent on 2002 levels. If we want to maintain and enhance youth turnout, we need to support it through Friday or weekend elections.

“There are up to 460,000 young people entitled to vote. A Friday vote would facilitate the large numbers that are away from home at college or for training or work, to return to vote.”

The organisation’s deputy director James Doorley added that it would be “disappointing” to see a Thursday vote.

“It would be disappointing if Government set Thursday as the polling day, as the majority of young people surveyed in the past have indicated that weekend polling was very important to encourage their participation,” he said.