Gardaí fear violent city feud could erupt

GARDAÍ were on heightened alert in Limerick last night, fearing the violent city feud is about to erupt over Christmas.

An attempt was made to burn down the home of murdered crime boss Kieran Keane early yesterday.

His nephew Liam Keane was released from prison earlier this week.

Round-the-clock armed garda units will be on duty throughout Christmas in the city and potential flash points are being given constant garda attention.

The attack on the late Keane’s home was the second in three months.

A car stolen in the Raheen area was rammed into the front gate of the house and set alight.

The blaze did not damage the house which was not occupied at the time.

The front of the house was scorched in a fire bomb attack in September.

Kieran Keane’s widow, Sophie, has been living in the house, with their children.

Liam Keane was released from Limerick prison this week. A son of Christy Keane, who is serving 10 years for drug offences, Liam has moved from his home in the city and now spends most of his time in a ‘safe house’.

He was at the centre of a collapsed trial in 2003 where he was charged with murdering 18-year-old Eric Leamy.

He has later convicted of non-indictable offences.

Gardaí fear his presence back on the streets could spark trouble.

He left Limerick for a period and spent time with a drugs gang in West Dublin who supply his associates in Limerick with drugs. He has also angered members of the gang he is associated with and went to Dublin fearing for his safety.

He was seriously injured three years ago when he was stabbed on a busy city centre street by a relative of the late Eddie Ryan, who was murdered in the Moose Bar in November 2000.

Bleeding extensively, he sought refuge in a garda station.

When the case went to court he did not identify his attacker in court.

The Eddie Ryan murder led to a huge escalation in the feud which subsequently claimed the lives of his brother, John Ryan, Michael Campbell McNamara and Kieran Keane.

Additional armed gardaí have been deployed to escort cash deliveries over the coming days in Limerick.