Few locals will mourn deathof lavish-living heroin dealer

COMMUNITY activists in Dublin’s north inner city said few local people were yesterday mourning the death of Michael “Roly” Cronin.

The 35-year-old was a much-hated figure in the area, particularly since the mid-1990s when people marched on his home.

Cronin, along with other notorious dealers, such as Thomas ‘Boxer’ Mullen, swamped the north inner city with heroin throughout the 1990s and seemed to operate freely and lived fairly lavish lifestyles.

On his release in 2004, after serving part of a 13-year sentence, he renewed drug dealing.

“Personally speaking I would not like to speak ill of the dead,” said Seanie Lambe, a long-time community activist with the Inner CityOrganisations Network (ICON). “He’s somebody’s son and it’s another tragedy.

“But, to be honest, around here there would be very few mourning the passing. People knew this guy was getting away with it since he came out, people knew he wasactive.

“People who opt for that kind of a lifestyle, this is part of the consequences of it and I would hope that it would act as a warning to putother people off getting involved in that evil trade.”

He said while gardaí were having a fair amount of success, he said the drugs problem was getting worse.

Fergus McCabe, another long-time local activist, said it was tragic the shooting took place on the same day as deputy Tony Gregory’s funeral.

“In a way, looking at the death of this dealer, it shows the failure of governments to address the drugs problem, that’s the tragedy, that’s what would upset Tony Gregory.”

Mr McCabe said the drugs issue had “gone off” the political agenda.