Gardaí investigating the murder of dissident republican Aidan O'Driscoll in Cork are continuing to gather CCTV footage in the hope that it may yield some clues as to the identity of his killers. Supt Mick Comyns of Mayfield Garda station told The Irish Times that gardaí were still in the process of collecting and securing footage from properties in the Blackpool area where Mr O'Driscoll was murdered on December 7th.
“Our focus has been on harvesting as much CCTV footage as possible before it is over-recorded or expires,” he said, “and we expect to start studying the footage in detail over the coming days in the hope of identifying those behind this ruthless murder.”
Gardaí have also obtained Mr O’Driscoll’s mobile phone and are examining it in a bid to establish whom he had been in contact with coming up to his death.
Supt Comyns reiterated his appeal to anyone who may have witnessed the shooting or was passing through Blackpool at about 5pm on December 7th to contact them as he believes there may still be people out there with important information that have yet to contact gardaí.
Efforts to identify a red Opel Astra which gardaí believe was used by Mr O'Driscoll's killers to leave Monard in Killeens near Blarney after they tried to burn out a second getaway vehicle, a while Vauxhall Astra estate, are ongoing. Anyone who saw the red Opel Astra or a black Toyota Avensis in the Killeens area on the afternoon of the killing are asked to contact Anglesea Garda station on 021-452 2000.
Mr O’Driscoll’s body was removed from O’Connor’s Funeral Home at the North Gate Bridge in Cork to St Oliver’s Church on Dublin Hill on Wednesday. His requiem funeral Mass takes place on Thursday at 1pm.
Mr O’Driscoll, who earned the nickname “the Beast” because of his physical style of play on the GAA pitch, was a keen sportsman. Former teammates from Delaneys GAA club are expected to provide a guard of honour at the Mass.
A painter and decorator Mr O'Driscoll, who is survived by his fiancée Marion Ryan, his children Seoirse and Chulann, his mother Nuala, his brother Mark and his sisters Nicola and Ciara, will be buried at St Catherine's Cemetery in Kilcully.
