‘Several witnesses’ in drug dealer murder

GARDAÍ investigating the gangland murder of a young father in west Dublin on Wednesday night, spent much of yesterday taking statements from people who witnessed the shooting.

Robbie O’Hanlon, a 25-year-old father, was singled out and shot dead by at least one attacker after he finished playing soccer at a sports ground in Ronanstown, north Clondalkin.

The deceased, from Arthur Griffith Park in nearby Lucan but with a recent address in Clondalkin, was known to gardaí and community leaders as a drug dealer.

He was surrounded by a number of his team mates as they walked off the pitch when a gunman fired three shots into him.

Gardaí said there were a large number of other people in the vicinity at the time, in the car park and outside the clubhouse.

A large team of gardaí began the lengthy process yesterday of taking detailed statements from witnesses in a bid to build up information about what happened.

Given the large number of people concerned, the process will take officers some time.

They appealed to people who have yet to come forward to contact them at Ronanstown Garda Station.

The shooting took place at 8pm and involved up to three assailants, who had hidden behind some trees waiting for Mr O’Hanlon to walk off the pitch.

The attackers fled across fields into nearby estates and from there made their escape, possibly in a waiting car.

Garda forensic experts examined the scene and the possible escape route.

Senior officers said they were looking at all angles in relation to the motive behind the murder.

Gardaí played down reports after the shooting that it was a revenge attack for the deceased’s suspected involvement in the murder of another criminal three years ago.

Jonathan O’Reilly, 25, from Ronanstown, was shot dead in the area in April 2004. Mr O’Hanlon was suspected of setting the deceased up for the gangland murder.

While detectives have not ruled out the possibility, they suspect Mr O’Hanlon was more likely killed because of recent incidents.

Garda sources confirmed Mr O’Hanlon was involved in the drugs trade, a view shared by several community sources.

He had no convictions for drugs, but had convictions for traffic offences and serious assault, including one on his former girlfriend.