Many likely suspects

GARDAÍ yesterday said there were numerous suspects who could be behind John Daly’s murder.

Daly made powerful enemies in prison after he rang the Joe Duffy radio show on a mobile phone from his cell in Portlaoise Prison last May. This led to a crackdown on contraband in the country’s sole maximum security jail, angering major criminals in Portlaoise, including crime boss John Gilligan.

Daly had already developed enemies in prison.

By virtue of his association with Limerick crime boss and fellow inmate Christy Keane, and the assistance he gave to members of the Keane family on the outside, he had become an enemy of the McCarthy-Dundon gang.

Daly also had many enemies in Finglas. He is suspected of being behind the murders of a number of young men in the area.

Daly had been heavily involved in cocaine dealing and his return to the area would not have been welcomed by other dealers.

“There are others who’ve taken over the drugs and guns racket in Finglas, they’re not going to hand over the reins,” said a senior Garda source.

He said top of this list was a man who has largely taken over the drugs empire previously run by crime boss Martin ‘Marlo’ Hyland, who was murdered last December. This man was a senior member of the Hyland gang and has been arrested by gardaí in relation to the murder. He is before the courts on a drugs charge.

Daly also made enemies in the republican movement after he tried to murder Liam McAllister, a nephew of Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams, four years ago.

Mr McAllister didn’t give evidence at the prosecution of Daly and the case collapsed.

While there were reports of a pay-off, there are suspicions the IRA decided to get their own revenge by murdering Daly on his release.