A murder investigation has begun after a young man was found with shotgun wounds to the head near a canal in west Dublin this morning.
The body of a man is removed from the Bluebell area of the Grand Canal in Dublin city. Photo: PA
The body of the man, in his early 20s, was found shortly before 8am on the banks of the Grand Canal between Kylemore Road and the Naas Road near Bluebell Avenue.
A Garda sub aqua unit spent the day searching a stretch of the canal nearby and rounds of live ammunition were found following a forensic search of the area, which is inaccessible by car.
The dead man has not been formally identified although a post mortem, carried out by the Deputy State Pathologist Dr Michael Curtis, has been completed.
It is understood the man had been living and working in the Bluebell area. A group of friends and relatives of the victim arrived at the scene as gardaí carried out forensic tests.
The death is the third gun killing in the country this year.
Speaking this afternoon, Minister for Justice Brian Lenhian said he could not confirm or deny speculation that the murder was a gangland killing.
