Man appears in court charged with murder of Limerick biker

By David Raleigh

A man charged with the murder of another biker in what Gardaí have said later developed into a "feud between rival motorcycle gangs", told Gardaí after his arrest: "I'm sorry".

Alan McNamara, 48, from Mountfune, Murroe, Co Limerick, appeared before a special sitting of Limerick District Court, charged with murdering father-of-two Andrew O'Donoghue on June 20.

Mr O'Donoghue was shot in the face with a sawn-off shotgun in a drive-by gun attack, at around 3pm last Saturday, outside the Road Tramps Motorcycle Club.

Robert Cusack 25, from Abington, Murroe was charged with impeding the garda investigation into Mr O'Donoghue's murder.

Both men were remanded in custody to appear in court again via video link, next Tuesday, June 30.

At an earlier separate hearing, the court heard how a friend of Mr O'Donoghue fired two shots from his legally held shotgun at the home of a rival biker gang member, in retaliation for Mr O'Donoghue's murder the previous day.

Father of two, Dermot McKenna, 49, from Hillview Park, St Patrick's Road, Limerick, was refused bail after Gardaí said they believed he would commit further serious offences if he was granted bail.

Mr McKenna was charged with possession of a shotgun; reckless discharge of a shotgun; and with criminal damage to the window of an apartment on Newcastle Court, Castletroy on June 21.

Inspector Ronan McDonagh said Mr McKenna "recklessly fired a shotgun into an apartment where women and children were living".

The court heard Mr McKenna drive to an apartment which told Gardaí he knew belonged to a rival member of a biker gang and fired two shots.

There were a number of people in the apartment at the time, but on one was injured.

Inspector McDonagh said the shooting occurred 24 hours after the murder of Mr O'Donoghue in what was "a feud between rival motorcycle gangs".

Solicitor Ted McCarthy said Mr McKenna had officially resigned from the Road Tramp Motorcycle Club following Mr O'Donoghue's murder by handing in his leather jacket and club patch to the club.

"He did so by handing in his badge and jacket - that is the final and terminal gesture of resigning from a (motorcycle) club," Mr McCarthy said.

However, Insp McDonagh told the court: "He was a member of a motorcycle gang, but my information was that this man was effectively kicked out of the motorcycle gang".

"This (shooting) was as a direct result and retaliation for his best friend’s murder the day before," the Insp added.

Judge Marian O'Leary remanded Mr McKenna in custody to appear in court next Tuesday.