Convicted drug dealer Christy Keane critically ill after Limerick shooting

By David Raleigh

Convicted drug dealer Christy Keane has been shot and seriously wounded in Limerick.

Christy Keane, pictured in 2009.

Keane, 54, of St Mary's Park, was shot on the campus of University of Limerick (UL) as he made his way to the UL gym.

Gardaí said that at around 6.50am, two armed and masked men approached Keane as he parked his car on campus. They opened fire, shooting him several times.

Mr Keane, who currently resides at Norwood Park, Dublin Road, was shot just before 7am.

Gardaí said he was rushed by ambulance from the UL Campus to University Hospital Limerick where his condition is critical.

This University of Limerick campus

A car believed to have been used by the gunmen has been found burnt out near Monaleen Stores, Monaleen, a short distance from the shooting.

Gardaí have sealed off the scene near the University of Limerick Sports Arena where the gun attack happened.

A source said: "He was shot five or six times. He has bullets in his chest and other gunshot wounds in his arms. He's still alive but he's in a critical condition."

Gardaí rushed to the hospital and were waiting for Keane to arrive by ambulance to provide round-the-clock protection for the convicted criminal and in the hope of gleaning information about the perpetrators.

"He has a numbers bullets still in his chest and he's lost a lot of blood. There are gardaí all around him. (They) were waiting at the hospital when he arrived," the source added.

Mr Keane is said to be a regular user of the UL gym, which also hosts some of the world's top athletes and is the home training ground for the Munster rugby team.

In 2000, father of two Keane was sentenced to 10 years in jail after he was caught carrying €240,000 worth of cannabis in a coal sack across St Mary's Park.

He had previously been aligned to Limerick hit man Eddie Ryan, but there was a split in the gang which led to Limerick's notorious murderous feud.

Keane, who has spent a lot of time in Spain since he was released from prison in 2009, has kept a relatively low profile in recent years.

Gardaí maintained a 24-hour armed presence in St Mary's Park area over a number of years as the feud left dozens of families devastated by the loss of their young men.

Christy Keane's younger brother Kieran took over the family drugs business when Christy was incarcerated but also became a victim of the feud in 2003.

Kieran and his nephew Owen Tracey were duped into meeting associates who said they had kidnapped the Keane's rivals Kieran and Eddie Ryan Jnr who were to be murdered.

However in a notorious double cross, the Ryans were freed and Kieran Keane and Owen Treacy were kidnapped.

Keane was later tortured and shot dead at Drombana, Co Limerick.

Mr Treacy was stabbed 17 times and left for dead. He managed to crawl to a nearby house and raise the alarm before going on to become a state witness in the trial of five men who were convicted of his attempted murder and the murder of his uncle.

The attack was a revenge killing for the murder of Christy's former ally Eddie Ryan who was shot dead by Kieran Keane and Philip Collopy in 2000.

In 2009, Christy's only son Liam Keane was jailed for 10 years after he was caught with a pistol and ammunition in suspicious circumstances at Athlunkard Road, Corbally, Limerick.

Liam Keane was previously charged with the murder of teenager Eric Leamy. Mr Leamy died on August 28, 2001, after he suffered a fatal stab wound to his side.

The murder trial famously collapsed after a number of other witnesses denied making statements identifying Liam Keane as the killer.

Keane stuck his two fingers up at photographers as he walked free from the Central Criminal Court in Dublin after the DPP ordered that a ‘Nolle Prosequi’ should be entered with his presumption of innocence still in tact.