Murdered man was suspected drug dealer

A father-of-three gunned down in front of customers in a Dublin pub was a suspected major drug dealer, it emerged today.

Detectives knew John Carroll as an associate of a number of criminal gangs in the capital, particularly the underworld faction in Crumlin.

The 33-year-old was killed when a gunman wearing a motorcycle helmet burst into Grumpy Jack’s bar, in the Coombe in the city’s southside last night, singled out his victim and opened fire a number of times with a handgun.

The victim was taken to St James’ Hospital but later died from his injuries.

There were up to 20 people in the pub at the time of the shooting at around 9.30pm.

Investigating gardaí are questioning a number of people who Carroll was drinking with at the time.

The dead man had been living most recently at Mountpleasant Avenue, in Ranelagh, with a partner but also had a family address at flats in nearby Charlemont Street, beside the Grand Canal.

Drugs detectives believed he was behind the large-scale distribution of cannabis, ecstasy and cocaine, shifting as much as hundreds of thousands of euro worth of drugs every month.

“He was in the big end of it, he wasn’t a street corner boy,” said one source.

Carroll, who also worked for a time as a car sales manager, had links to a wide-range of gangland figures throughout Dublin, including one former associate of The General, Martin Cahill.

His killer was a pillion passenger on a blue mid-range motorbike on which both he and the driver, wearing dark clothing and full face helmets, fled in the direction of Dean Street, Patrick Street and Kevin Street.

Superintendent Thady Muldoon, who is leading the murder investigation, said the killing may be gangland-related but insisted detectives had not yet settled on a motive.

“We are following all avenues of inquiry and we have no definite motive at this stage,” he said.

Garda technical experts are scouring the pub for clues, while door to door inquiries are being carried out in the area.

CCTV footage in and around the pub will also be examined.

Supt Muldoon appealed for anyone who was in the bar at the time or who may have information that would help the investigation to come forward.

The killing brings to six the number of people shot dead since the start of the year in Dublin.

Last week father-of-two Michael Hendrick died after a lone gunman approached his car near an open green in Clondalkin, west Dublin, and opened fire several times with a handgun.