Fears Real IRA group and drug gang feud to escalate

GARDAÍ fear a violent feud between a notorious Real IRA group and the remnants of one of Dublin’s biggest drug gangs is about to escalate.

The dissident republican faction — led by two brothers — is using the cloak of anti-drug vigilantism to target a pub owned by one of the leaders of the gang formerly led by murdered crime boss Eamon Dunne.

The Real IRA faction — which gardaí say is a criminal outfit first and paramilitary group second — has muscled its way into gangland crime in recent years and has been engaged in shootings, extortion and door security.

They are suspects for the murder of drug gang member Sean Winters in north Dublin last September.

They are also suspected of carrying out an attempted murder of one of the leaders of the Dunne gang last August. He was shot a number of times but escaped with his life.

The Real IRA group has been demanding a cut of profits from drug gangs, while at the same time pretending to be standing up to drug dealers in working class areas.

The brothers run security at a pub which was targeted in a gun attack last July in which an innocent doorman was injured.

Now they are threatening staff at another pub in the north inner city, which is owned by the one of the Dunne gang leaders.

They are putting pressure on staff and management to hand over door security to them or face the consequences.

“They are putting heat on this pub. They want control of the door and are using anti-drug stuff as a guise. Trouble is brewing and we are waiting for an outburst,” said a garda source.