More than 20 questioned over grandfather’s killing in feud

GARDAÍ have interviewed more than 20 people in connection with the brutal killing of a 51-year-old grand-father which was sparked by a feud between rival families.

It is expected more people will be interviewed in the coming days about the killing of Gerard Delaney, who was stabbed and beaten to death following a mass brawl outside a pub in a Cork city suburb in the early hours of December 27.

Mr Delaney had been babysitting his grandchildren at his Mahon home with his wife, when he got a call that his relatives needed help following a row that started earlier that night between themselves and members of the Crinnion family.

Mr Delaney had tried to keep himself out of a feud with the Crinnions and their associates and did not have any convictions for serious crime.

The first dispute between rival factions broke out at around 8.30pm on St Stephen’s Day at Quirkie’s Bar at Pearse Square, Ballyphehane. Nearly four hours later, it escalated into a major fight involving 20-plus people outside the nearby Manhattan Bar at Lower Friars Walk.

During the row, Mr Delaney was fatally injured and taken by car to a house on Plunkett Road before being rushed to Cork University Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Gardaí have retrieved the knife which they believe may have been used to stab Mr Delaney, as well as a baseball bat and a pickaxe handle which they suspect had been used in the brawl outside the Manhattan Bar.

“The investigation is progressing. People directly involved [in the fight] have been interviewed and we have identified a number of other people we want to talk to and they will be interviewed shortly,” a senior garda source said.

“A core team of 20 gardaí are working on the case and we have looked at all the CCTV footage available,” he added.

Gardaí have called for calm and have increased patrols in the southside of the city in an attempt to prevent any further escalation of the feud.

At Mr Delaney’s requiem Mass, Fr Paul O’Donoghue said in his homily that none of the dead man’s family wanted to see anyone else suffer. There has been ongoing tension between the Delaneys and the Crinnions and their associates.

Robert Crinnion was recently jailed for 10 years for a non-fatal slash-hook attack last February on Mr Delaney’s brother, Finbarr.

lAnyone with information can contact Togher gardaí on [phone].