Garda crackdown on organised crime gangs results in drop in murders

Gardaí have intervened in 77 instances where there was an imminent threat to life, including the potential use of firearms

Assistant Commissioner John O’Driscoll said the total number of murders and manslaughter cases dropped from 47 in 2018 to a provisional estimate of 23 in 2021. File picture: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin

The number of murders has halved in the last three years, the Garda’s top crime officer has revealed, saying it was partly due to Garda operations against organised crime gangs.

Assistant Commissioner John O’Driscoll said the total number of murders and manslaughter cases dropped from 47 in 2018 to a provisional estimate of 23 in 2021.