BACKGROUND:The murder of Declan Gavin sparked a cycle of gun violence and death that continues more than eight years later
THE KILLING of Declan Gavin in 2001 began a major gangland feud in southwest Dublin's neighbouring Crumlin and Drimnagh suburbs, which has so far claimed 13 lives.
It ranks as the most notorious and violent gang war in the history of Irish organised crime, rivalled only by events in Limerick in recent years.
The two factions in the Crumlin-Drimnagh feud initially worked together when they were emerging on to Dublin's crime scene as teenagers during the late 1990s.
However, a drug seizure in the south inner city in March 2000 resulted in two sides forming.
Gavin and two others were found by gardaí with £1.25 million of cocaine and ecstasy in the Holiday Inn hotel on Pearse Street. Gavin had stepped outside the hotel room when gardaí moved in.
While his two associates were immediately arrested, charged and convicted, the Garda case against Gavin progressed more slowly. This led to an unfounded accusation from some of Gavin's associates, including Brian Rattigan, that Gavin was an informer.
One faction formed around Gavin and another around the Rattigan brothers, Brian and Joseph.
A number of non-fatal rows erupted before Gavin (21) was stabbed to death by Brian Rattigan (now 28) in Crumlin on August 25th, 2001.
The Crumlin-Drimnagh feud had begun.
The next man to die was his brother Joseph Rattigan (18). He was shot dead in Drimnagh in July 2002 as revenge for the Gavin killing.
The tit-for-tat feud killings have continued ever since, including two cases this year (see panel).
The violent gang war has also resulted in numerous pipe bomb, grenade and non-fatal stabbing and gun attacks.
In one incident this year, two gunmen mistakenly shot at the house of completely innocent people and then shot at a Garda car that chased them.
Last summer, some of those involved took to carrying out drive-by shootings on the homes of the grandparents of their rivals. In another recent case, a young man was slashed and stabbed in the face.
Some of the key players are in fear of their lives and have fled to Spain, from where they ship drugs to Ireland. Others have rented houses in affluent Dublin suburbs in the hope their rivals won't find them.
At least three people have been caught up on the periphery of the feud and have been killed.
Brian Rattigan was himself wounded in the stomach during an unsuccessful attack in 2002 on Joseph Rattigan, who escaped the gunman by jumping through an upstairs window at his home.
In 2003 Brian Rattigan was jailed for six years on drugs charges. He was already in prison at the time awaiting trial after he had fired shots at a Garda car during a high-speed chase in February 2003 in Inchicore.
When the car carrying him stopped, he got out and took aim with his shotgun at gardaí before an armed detective fired a warning shot and arrested him. He was jailed for four years.
Rattigan also served a three- year sentence for his role in a group attack on a taxi driver in Dublin city centre in April 2000.
An innocent couple and the taxi driver were set upon by Rattigan and his friends as Rattigan tried to get into a taxi that had stopped for the couple. Two other drivers went to the taxi driver's aid and were beaten and one had his own car driven over him.
Rattigan is being held on Portlaoise Prison's gangland landing. He has used smuggled phones in jail to organise drug deals and at least one gun murder.
When more than €5 million worth of heroin was found in Dublin in 2008, Rattigan was linked to it.
Gardaí also believe he used a mobile phone in his prison cell in Mountjoy to give directions to a gunman on how to shoot dead Paul Warren (23) in 2004. Warren was linked to the murder of Rattigan's brother, Joseph.
Rattigan was jailed for life yesterday for Gavin's murder. Aged 28, many gardaí believe he will be aged 50 by the time he is freed, unless he appeals the conviction and wins.
Decade of Death; Crumlin-Drimnagh feud
August 25th, 2001
Declan Gavin (21) is stabbed to death by Brian Rattigan in Crumlin.
July 16th, 2002
Joseph Rattigan (18) shot dead in Drimnagh in revenge for the Gavin murder.
February 25th, 2004
Paul Warren (23) shot dead in a pub off Cork Street in revenge for the Joseph Rattigan murder.
March 9th, 2005
John Roche (24) shot dead in Kilmainham. An associate of Rattigan, he was at the scene of the Gavin murder.
November 13th, 2005
Darren Geoghegan (26) and Gavin Byrne (30) shot dead in Firhouse in an internal row in the Gavin faction.
November 15th, 2005
Noel Roche (27) shot dead in Clontarf. A brother of John Roche, both brothers were killed by Gavin’s associates.
August 19th, 2006
Wayne Zambra (21) shot dead in the south inner city by the Rattigan faction in a row over money.
September 26th, 2006
Gary Bryan (31) shot dead in Walkinstown. The chief suspect for the Paul Warren murder, his killing was revenge for Warren’s.
December 1st, 2006
Eddie McCabe (21) beaten to death by the Rattigan gang because he had information on Zambra’s murder.
September 13th, 2008
Shooting dead of Christopher Barry (24) in Killester. Aligned to the Gavin gang, he was killed by the Rattigan gang.
March 13th, 2009
Séamus O’Byrne (27) shot dead in Tallaght. Was close to Rattigan.
July 17th, 2009
Anthony Cannon (26) shot dead in Ballyfermot. Aligned to the Rattigan faction, like O’Byrne he was killed by the Gavin gang.
