Bunratty shooting victim fights for life as gardaí find gun

Gardaí are continuing to search for two men who shot a man a number of times in Co Clare overnight, as their victim fights for his life in hospital.

The attack took place outside the Bunratty Castle Hotel.

At around 3.40am today, 21-year-old Robert Sheehan from Moyross in Limerick stepped outside the hotel to have a cigarette. He was attending a family wedding at the time.

He was approached by two gunmen and shot a number of times in the head and body. The gunmen fled the scene in a dark-coloured saloon type car.

Mr Sheehan was taken to the Mid Western Regional Hospital in Limerick, where he is understood to be fighting for his life.

The victim is known to gardaí and has served a number of jail sentences for serious criminal activity.

In October 2007, Mr Sheehan was sentenced to two years detention after he pleaded guilty to recklessly endangering the lives of children Gavin and Millie Murray at Pineview Gardens, Moyross, in September 2006.

The four-year-old boy and six-year-old girl sustaiined horrific burns when their mother's car was petrol-bombed in an unprovoked attack by two other young men, for whom Mr Sheehan had acted as a look-out.

At the time of that case, the court heard that gardaí accepted the three did not know the two children were in the car. Mr Sheehan had helped to pull Gavin from the blaze.

Investigating officers recovered a firearm close to the scene of today's shooting.

An incident room has been set up to investigate the shooting. Gardaí at Shannon garda station are appealing for anyone with information to contact them.