Gardaí to investigate paramilitary displays

Gardaí are planning to swoop on those who fired shots and wore paramilitary uniforms at the weekend funeral of murdered terror leader Alan Ryan.

The developments come as Justice Minister Alan Shatter yesterday slammed the paramilitary displays at the funeral as “reprehensible and absolutely unacceptable”.

He said he recognised the “immediate difficulties” faced by gardaí in policing such a funeral but had received assurances from Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan that gardaí would pursue any breaches of the law.

Ryan, 32, was laid to rest in his home parish in Donaghmede, North Dublin, on Saturday after being gunned down in nearby Clongriffin last Monday.

Among the large crowd that attended were around 200 mourners dressed in white shirts and black ties.

They flanked five men and two women dressed in paramilitary uniforms, including fatigues, berets, masks, and sunglasses.

Outside the Ryan family home on Grange Abbey Drive, Donaghmede, a volley of shots was fired as the coffin, draped in a Tricolour, was removed.

A massive Garda operation was in place for the day, including uniformed officers and public order units as well as undercover intelligence and surveillance operatives.

Mr Shatter yesterday said he regarded as “reprehensible and absolutely unacceptable” some of the events at the funeral.

“Paramilitary trappings should not blind people to the fact that what is at issue is criminal terrorism carried on by people who, for their own reasons, want to drag the people of this island back to a dark past,” he said.

Garda sources said they risked creating a serious public order incident had they intervened. “There is an investigation into this and there very likely will be developments,” said a source.

Meanwhile, the man arrested on Friday in connection with Ryan’s murder was released at the weekend.