Drogheda house destroyed by petrol bomb after shooting

Gardaí are investigating whether latest violent incidents in the town are connected

Gardaí  at the scene of the shooting at  Termon Abbey in Drogheda on Thursday. Photograph: Ciara Wilkinson
Gardaí at the scene of the shooting at Termon Abbey in Drogheda on Thursday. Photograph: Ciara Wilkinson

A man aged in his 20s remains in hospital in Drogheda Co Louth, after he was shot on Thursday.

The shooting happened at approximately 8.20pm in Termon Abbey in north Drogheda.

The injured man was taken to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital where he remains on Friday. His injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

Gardaí are also investigating a petrol bomb attack on a house in the Moneymore estate in the town later that evening. This attack occurred about three hours after the shooting and caused extensive damage to the building.

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Nobody was in the house at the time.

Gardaí are investigating whether the petrol bomb and the shooting are linked to an ongoing feud in the town.

Local TD Fergus O’Dowd said while the armed Garda Emergency Response and Regional Support units were deployed in the town, “we need law and order restored by rank and file gardaí”.

Mr O’Dowd said “armed gardaí won’t solve the problem with drug gangs in Drogheda”

He told RTÉ radio’s Today with Sean O’Rourke show Thursday night’s shooting was an “appalling event” which had shocked him.

Mr O’Dowd said it was hugely important to get the message out before the Fleadh, in August, that Drogheda was safe.

“There will be hundreds of thousands of visitors who will be welcome.”

He said the violence is being caused by a small gang who are known to the gardaí.

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris earlier this month allocated three quarters of new Garda recruits to help tackle gangland crime in Dublin and Co Louth.

The decision to send 128 of the new 201 probationer gardaí to various Dublin divisions, and a further 30 to Co Louth, was welcomed by Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan.

Mr Harris has said gardaí in the Louth division were being well supported by the national Garda units, including the Emergency Response Unit (ERU) as they try to contain the feuding.

Since last July, the feud has involved 75 crimes, including shootings and petrol bombings.

In April , a man was shot three times and wounded in what gardaí believe was a murder attempt, and three arson attacks were also carried out in the town.

Last July, a man was shot at least four times at his home in Drogheda and left paralysed after the attack.