Time to stand up to gangs

The extraordinary events in Limerick over the past week, culminating with the presence of the garda Emergency Response Unit in the city, has put the issue of law and order on top of the political agenda.

Soldiers from Clonmel and Limerick were drafted in to help in the search for the two Ryan brothers, who were said to have been abducted by a rival gang.

Their reappearance, unscathed and unhurt, almost coincided with the murder of one and the brutal assault of another member of the rival gang.