Five arrests in raids over Aidan O'Driscoll killing

Five people were arrested during early morning raids on houses in Cork yesterday as part of an investigation into the murder of former dissident republican Aidan O’Driscoll.

They were the first arrests made by gardaí since Mr O’Driscoll, 37, was shot dead on December 7 last as he walked along Great William O’Brien Street, Blackpool.

Gardaí were questioning four men, aged from 20 to 70, and a woman in her 20s after the raids yesterday morning.

The first arrests were made at 6.30am when three men, aged in their 20s and 30s were taken from addresses in the Mallow Road and Blarney areas.

They were being questioned at Mayfield and Gurranabraher garda stations.

At 8am a woman in her 20s and a man in his 70s were detained by gardaí in the Blarney area and taken to Togher garda station for questioning.

They were being detained under under Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act and can be questioned for up to seven days.

Aidan O’Driscoll

Mr O’Driscoll, a father of two, was shot by at least one man armed with a handgun as he walked close to Blackpool Church.

He stumbled while trying to escape and was shot three further times while he lay on the road.

Emergency services treated him at the scene but he was pronounced dead a short time later at Cork University Hospital.

He was closely connected to former Real IRA leader Alan Ryan, who was shot dead in Dublin five years ago. Gardaí believe that Mr O’Driscoll took over as Real IRA chief of staff for a period after Ryan’s murder.

Gardaí are still appealing for anybody with information about Mr O’Driscoll’s killing to contact Mayfield Garda Station on 021 455 8510 or the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666111.