Attacks show ugly face of Irish society

THE horrific murders over the weekend are the grim reminder of the simmering violence in Irish society.

Illustrating the random nature of casual violence, a 51-year-old man in Leixlip was savagely assaulted in the driveway of his bungalow just because he tried to protect two people who had sought refuge in his garden from a gang of youths.

In contrast, gardaí believe the fatal shooting of a 29-year-old man in Ballincollig, a sprawling residential town west of Cork city, was the work of a professional hit-man. Gunned down in full view of his partner, one-and-a-half year old child and a group of local teenagers, the victim was known to gardaí.