Gangland link as man is murdered

GARDAÍ in Dublin have launched a murder inquiry after a man’s body was discovered at the side of the road in Ballymun yesterday in what is suspected to be the city’s latest gangland shooting.

Detectives from Finglas were altered to the location of the body at St Margaret’s Road shortly after midday. It is believed the victim had suffered a single shotgun wound to the back of the head.

Although gardaí had still to formally identify the body last evening, it is believed the dead man came from the Ballymun area. He was described as being in his early 30s of stocky build with a shaven head.

While a motive for the crime has still to be determined, garda sources said the incident had all the hallmarks of a gangland killing.

It is understood the man was not killed at the scene and gardaí believe the body had probably been dumped there overnight.

St Margaret’s Road remained closed for several hours as a garda forensic team conducted a detailed, technical examination of the area.

Detectives heading up the investigation have appealed for help from anybody who noticed anything unusual in the area over the weekend.

Although located in a rural setting, many drivers are likely to have passed the scene as St Margaret’s Road is on the edge of a large built-up area.

The body was expected to be brought to the Dublin City Morgue last night where a post-mortem was due to be conducted by the Assistant State Pathologist, Dr Marie Cassidy.

The murder comes after a lull in the number of gangland shootings and killings in the past few months.

The last known victim of a feud between the city’s major criminal gangs was Niall Mulvihill, an associate of the murdered crime boss, Martin Cahill.

He was shot while sitting in his taxi on Dublin’s quays on January 23. Despite his injuries, Mulvihill managed to drive several miles to seek treatment for his wounds before crashing his car just a few hundred yards from the entrance to the Mater Hospital.