‘He sees himself as the top man’

RUMOURS raged around Limerick on Thursday night that Liam Keane, 19, had been shot dead.

Gardaí were inundated with calls and had to investigate if the man who dominated the headlines all week was still alive.

Soon it emerged Keane was alive and well. It had been one of those weeks for Keane who outstripped his murdered uncle Kieran and jailed father Christy to become the family's most recognisable face a fact the wider Keane clan are not too happy about, given they prefer to keep a low profile.

On Monday, Liam Keane walked free from the Central Criminal Court where he had been accused of killing Eric Leamy.

Six witnesses in the trial, who earlier told gardaí they saw Keane fight with Leamy in Lee Estate in August 2001, changed their evidence in court.

On Tuesday a bench warrant was issued for his arrest at Limerick District Court when he failed to appear to face two public order offence charges.

By Wednesday he was back in his home town wearing a Nike tracksuit and looking relaxed.

He was hit with his 20th conviction, but again he was a free man.

The only downer for Keane was that his welcome home party was cancelled after the public reaction to the case.

This was in marked contrast to the celebrations in St Mary's Park when the leader of the rival Ryan gang, John Ryan, was gunned down earlier this year.

All Keane's convictions relate to public order offences or offences under the Road Traffic Acts.

He was given two three-month prison terms. In 2002, he received three months under the Public Order Act for possession of a weapon with intent a road bowl in a sock. In 2003 he was given another three months for a public order offence.

Those who know him say he is very ambitious and wants to lead the family, who run a coal business in St Mary's Park. The coal and gas office is based in St Munchin's Street, the street where Eric Leamy's family live.

Keane's father Christy is serving a 10-year jail term for drugs offences, while his uncle Kieran was murdered in Drombanna last January.

"He's arrogant and sees himself as the top man at the moment," a source said.

Young Keane is different from his father Christy who was relatively unknown before he was caught with a consignment of drugs in a coalbag.

Despite his ambition and self-assurance Liam Keane is unlikely to oust his uncles and become boss of the coal business just yet. It's thought the wider Keane family is uncomfortable with Liam's bullish actions this week.

They know too well life will get difficult if armed police are moved into St Mary's Park again.