Arson attack at house of murdered crime boss

Tensions in a violent Limerick feud have escalated again following an arson attack at the home of murdered crime boss Kieran Keane.

The front door of the two-storey house in Garryowen was doused in petrol and set alight at 6.30am this morning, but fortunately no-one was injured in the blaze.

Kieran Keane's widow, Sophie Keane, was not home at the time and it's understood that she has not stayed overnight at the house since her husband was shot dead in an execution style killing in January 2003.

This morning's attack is the second time the Keane family has been targeted in three weeks.

On August 27 last, an 18-year-old youth - who is closely related to Sophie Keane - was shot at while driving through the city at 11.30pm.

The teenager suffered pellet wounds to his back when he was shot by a gunman travelling at high speed in a car behind him.

The shooting was precipitated by a row earlier in the Garryowen area between youths drawn from both sides of the brutal Keane-Ryan feud, which has claimed four lives in as many years.

Last week, an associate of the gang that was involved in Kieran Keane's murder, was arrrested and questioned about the shooting.

He is the fourth person to be questioned about the gun attack but so far nobody has been charged.

A garda source confirmed tonight that this morning's arson attack at Sophie Keane's home was being treated as "feud related".

It's understood the fire was started by two youths who were seen in the area carrying a five gallon drum of petrol. A third person was seen waiting in a car parked nearby.

Detectives are expected to examine CCTV footage taken from the area.

"The house was unoccupied at the time but there was smoke damage and damage caused to the front door," said a garda spokesman.

"A full investigation is underway and we are looking at the possibility that this is related to the feud," he added.

On October 25 last year, Kieran Keane's eldest son Joseph was lucky to escape uninjured following a failed assasination attempt just 50 yards from his home.

The teenager, who was just 16 at the time, was standing outside a fast food premises when a pillion passenger on a motorbike opened fire and shot a number of times at him.

No one was struck in the attack but one of the bullets lodged in a car owned by the proprietor of the fast food outlet.