Gardaí watch Real IRA to prevent murder retaliation

Gardaí are monitoring a prominent Real IRA family as part of a large-scale operation to prevent retaliation for the murder of terror leader Alan Ryan.

Three brothers are members of the north Dublin RIRA faction which was led by Ryan and are said to be determined to revenge the daylight shooting.

Meanwhile, it is understood a hitman from Dublin’s north inner city is a possible suspect for the brazen attack.

Ryan, 32, was gunned down near his home on Grange Abbey Rd, Clongriffin, north Dublin, at about 3.30pm on Monday.

He was with two members of the 32 County Sovereignty Movement, a dissident republican political party, when a gunman approached from behind and opened fire.

Ryan was hit several times and fell to the ground. His masked killer walked up and fired a number of shots into his head at close range. One of his companions was also shot in the leg.

Justice Minister Alan Shatter last night told the Irish Examiner he “condemned” the murder and that of Robert Sheehan, in Co Clare, on the same day.

He said gardaí were doing “everything in their power” to bring the perpetrators to justice and said gardaí had his full support.

Officers investigating Ryan’s death said it was a “very highly charged” incident and urged people with information to come forward.

Detectives said Ryan had a “long list of enemies” in criminal and paramilitary circles, including among veteran members of the Provisional IRA.

The Ryan faction took on a multitude of criminal gangs across Dublin in recent years, extorting them and demanding “taxes” on their earnings. Failure to pay resulted in gun attacks, including murders.

The faction also muscled its way into the security business at pubs and came into conflict with gangs.

“Ryan got too big for his boots looking for money off everyone,” a senior garda said. “His bullyboy tactics made powerful enemies.”

Garda sources have long said the Ryan gang were not republicans but were first and foremost criminals who lined their own pockets.

Officers are not ruling out the possibility that senior members within the Real IRA fold could have ordered the murder.

One Garda source said the “clinical” nature of the attack suggested killers “closer to home”.

A statement on the 32 County Sovereignty Movement website yesterday extended “heartfelt sympathy” to the Ryan family for the “cowardly murder of our friend, comrade and activist”.