Fears of escalation in Limerick dispute

There are fears in Limerick that a localised dispute between criminal factions has now escalated after an early-morning gun attack which left three young men in hospital with shotgun wounds.

The shooting marked the third such incident in the same area in the past five days.

Gardaí said three masked attackers, armed with at least one shotgun, approached a group of up to 15 people in the front garden of a house in Craeval Park, Moyross, at 2.10am this morning. They fired up to four shotgun rounds spraying pellets which hit three men in the group in the legs, arms and lower body.

One garda source said it was “miraculous” that no-one was killed in the indiscriminate attack.

The injured men aged 18, 21 and 30 were removed to the Mid-Western Regional Hospital where they were treated for various injuries, none of which were said to be life-threatening.

The area around the shooting in the local authority estate on the northside of the city was sealed off today for technical examination. Detectives are also planning to interview the injured men in hospital.

House-to-house enquiries were also being carried out in Moyross as part of the garda investigation headed up by Superintendent Gerry Mahon and Detective Inspector Bob Noonan.

Gardaí believe this morning's gun attack was almost certainly linked to two other shooting incidents in the same area earlier this week.

“We are still exploring the motive for this incident but we cannot rule out the possibility that it was linked to earlier incidents and to ongoing friction between extended families in the area,” said a garda spokesman.

Last Monday morning, shots were fired at two houses in Craeval Park and the adjoining Pineview Gardens estate just minutes apart. Both houses were occupied at the time of the shootings, which happened at around 8am, but fortunately there were no injuries.

Garda sources said last Monday’s shootings were linked to on-going criminal feuding in the Moyross area. However, the gun attacks were not connected to the much publicised Limerick gang feud which has claimed four lives in as many years. It is understood that this dispute has its origins in an incident in which a Moyross man was targeted in a gun attack last month.

Gardaí investigating this morning's shooting in Moyross have appealed to anyone with information to contact them at Mayorstone Crime Office on 061 456 982 or at Henry Street garda station on 061 212 400.