Three men released after raid on estate
The men, two in their 40s and one in his late teens, were arrested during the Garda-led multi-agency operation at St Anthony’s Park in Hollyhill on Wednesday, during which guns, ammunition, bulletproof vests, and an array of other offensive weapons were seized.
The men were questioned about an aggravated burglary at a house in the Bishopstown area of the city last Friday which it is believed is linked to a feud between a Cork-based Traveller family and a Traveller family in Dublin, which in turn led to the posting of a threatening video online on Saturday.
The 53-second video of a group of up to 20 hooded and masked men, some brandishing slash hooks, shows one man shouting various threats.
“We will cut you up and you will never again get on a camera — your greedy ass will never again be allowed into the county Cork and if you have warriors, bring them on, ya little tramp, ya,” he shouts, before two men in the group discharge three shots into the air.
It is understood the “call-out” threats were directed at a young Dublin Traveller who it is believed got a young Traveller girl from Cork pregnant, before marrying someone else.
It is believed the gang behind Friday’s aggravated burglary targeted the house in the belief the young man was staying there.
Garda investigations of the burglary and of the video threat led to Wednesday’s raid involving at least 60 gardaí, backed by armed members of Regional Support Units from Cork, Limerick, and Waterford.
As well as the guns and ammunition, gardaí recovered slash hooks, machetes, swords, knives, a bow and arrows, and balaclavas. They also recovered cash and jewellery and seized a Nissan Navarra, a Ford Transit, and two luxury caravans.
The firearms, which gardaí believe had been stolen and were held illegally, have been sent for forensic and ballistics analysis.
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