Man released as gardaí braced for further violence

GARDAÍ investigating a gangland murder released a man from custody at the weekend and braced themselves for possible further violence.

Gavin McCarthy, aged 21, from Dublin’s north inner city, was buried on Saturday morning, less than a week after he was gunned down near his home by a teenage killer cycling a bicycle.

Hours earlier, detectives released from custody a man arrested in relation to the gun attack.

Officers suspect the murder is linked to a local feud, which has already claimed three lives.

Senior gardaí fear that, following the burial of Mr McCarthy, there may be attempts at revenge and they have maintained a high level of uniformed and armed presence in the area.

Detectives arrested a 20-year-old local youth last Thursday in relation to the murder following the seizure of a handgun suspected of being used in the attack. He was detained under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act, which allows for a detention period of two days, which can only be extended for a further day on application to the courts.

He was released early on Saturday and a file will be prepared for the DPP.

Meanwhile, gardaí were yesterday investigating the latest bomb incident, which happened in Meath on Saturday morning.

The bomb went off as army bomb disposal experts were dealing with it. A Defence Forces’ spokesman said neither the bomb disposal officers nor the disposal robot were next to the bomb at the time.

The detonation caused minor damage to the rear of a property in the Milltown estate, Ashbourne.

Gardaí continued to investigate two bomb alerts in west Dublin last Thursday. In both cases a viable device was placed under a car outside two properties.

Elsewhere, gardaí are investigating two separate incidents in Finglas, north Dublin. In the first incident, two men travelling in a car early on Friday morning were fired at by a passenger in another car, but escaped injury.

Hours later, the Organised Crime Unit arrested a man in the Dunsink area of Finglas after they searched a house and found a 9mm handgun, six rounds of ammunition and around €3,000 worth of cocaine.