Armed checkpoints across Cork City's northside following spate of violent incidents

A man remained in Garda custody on Monday night in connection with a suspected petrol bomb attack at Murphy’s Rock pub in Ballyvolane

Armed garda checkpoints are taking place across the northside of Cork City following a spate of violent incidents

Armed Garda checkpoints are taking place across the northside of Cork City following a spate of violent incidents, during which guns, petrol bombs and a hand grenade were used.

A man remained in custody on Monday night in connection with a suspected petrol bomb attack at Murphy’s Rock pub in Ballyvolane late on Sunday night.

In that incident, the man returned to the pub with a slash-hook after an earlier verbal altercation. When he was ejected by security, he later arrived with a petrol bomb, which caused minor damage to the property. 

The man was arrested a short time later and remained in garda custody on Monday.

Gardaí are also investigating the use of a suspected hand grenade in an unconnected attack at a house in Meadow Park Avenue, also in Ballyvolane.

A controlled explosion was carried out by members of the Defence Forces after locals were evacuated from their homes and a cordon was put in place. 

The Meadow Park Avenue attack is being linked to an incident in which a shot was fired through the window of a house in Palmbury Orchard in Togher late on Friday night; and to the firing of a shot at a property on Innishannon Road in Fair Hill at 10.45pm on Saturday. 

Gardaí believe the incidents in Meadow Park Avenue, Fair Hill, and Togher are linked to a feud between two extended Traveller families.

Escalation of tensions

They are so concerned at the escalation of tensions between the two sides that checkpoints by armed Garda personnel are taking place in a bid to prevent further attacks.

While the focus of the activity has mainly been on the city’s northside, the feud has spread to the southside with the incident in Palmbury Orchard.

There has also been an escalation of violent incidents in the northwest of the city, including a suspected petrol bomb attack at a house in Mary Aikenhead Place in Gurranabraher on August 26.

Garda sources have also indicated that the recently-released notorious criminal Gavin Sheehan is trying to ‘recruit’ other former prisoners to protect him after an attempted hit at his home by armed men.

Sheehan – who has 73 previous convictions – was released last month from Castlerea Prison after serving eight years for shooting a young woman in the neck.

He admitted that he had been a garda informer at his sentencing hearing in that case.

“Apparently, he owes a lot of money to drug dealers in Dublin," a source said.

“He’s trying to recruit a gang from the local area but it’s not as easy as he probably thought it would be. The fear factor he had is gone, particularly amongst younger people in the area."

Urgent action

Tánaiste Micheál Martin has condemned the series of violent incidents, while warning of more aggression across Irish society.

Mr Martin said that gardaí in the city are currently dealing with the matter and that he had “no doubt” that they would “get to the bottom” of the incidents.

“Any violence or any attempt at violence has to be condemned no matter where it takes place,” Mr Martin said.

“I think we are seeing a greater degree of aggression and violence generally in society and we have to painstakingly and properly and competently deal with that through our criminal justice system, and deal with it speedily.”

Meanwhile, Thomas Gould, the Sinn Féin TD for Cork North Central, has called for urgent action to bring an end to the escalating violence across his constituency.

"I have today written to the minister for justice and Chief Superintendent Tom Myers seeking an urgent meeting,” Mr Gould said.

“This is following another weekend of serious violence in the city.

“There has been a series of violent attacks in the last number of weeks that we have been informed are connected to each other. We know one member of the public has been seriously injured already."

Mr Gould said he has been contacted by worried members of the community who are now living in fear of the violence.