Does this week's jailing of nine more Limerick criminals signal that the gang feud in the city is over, asks Conor Lally
Judge Carroll Moran's words at Limerick Circuit Court this week have brought comfort to the people, and gardaí, of Limerick city. While passing down terms of imprisonment totalling 38 years to nine Limerick criminals involved in the city's well-documented feud, Judge Moran said there were now 25 criminals from the factions behind bars. The current situation is a far cry from the events of 18 months ago.
Back then, violent feuding erupted around the Shannonsiders. This left four people dead and a number of families petrol-bombed out of their homes. In January 2003, armed gardaí from the Emergency Response Unit patrolled the city as the Garda helicopter hovered above.
On January 24th, Eddie (21) and Kieran Ryan (20) were allegedly abducted. Six days later, drug-dealer Kieran Keane (42), the chief suspect in the killing of their father and the man suspected of their abduction, was abducted by the brothers' associates and shot dead. Keane's nephew, Owen Treacy, was also left for dead in that attack but survived. Within a few hours, the Ryans turned up safe and well. They telephoned Portlaoise gardaí from a nearby payphone in the early hours of January 30th to say they had been released. It was a spectacular comeback, on a par with that of Lazarus.
Now Kieran Ryan is one of nine men jailed by Judge Moran on Tuesday for his part in a "pitched battle" on the Ennis Road in Limerick city on May 27th last year.
The five men who abducted and killed Keane are also in jail, serving life sentences for that murder. Others involved in the feud have been jailed during the last 18 months for murder, arson, gun attacks and even in connection with the discovery of a car bomb in the city.
Cllr John Gilligan lives on the Kings Island estate, where most of those involved in the feuding live. When the violent events that gripped his city were on the front pages of every newspaper for months last year, he was not slow to criticise the gardaí. Now he has changed his mind.
"I think after the hammering we got in the media, public opinion in Limerick simply said: 'we've had enough'. The gardaí and the courts have taken that on board and are now simply unwilling to allow the situation to continue." Cllr Gilligan says he is heartened by the fact that Judge Moran even knew exactly how many people involved in the feud have been jailed. He believes the feud is "more or less over" and is hopeful that by the time most of those involved have served their sentences "life will have moved on".
"In fairness to (Chief Supt) Gerry Kelly, when this whole thing blew up he said he had the resources to tackle the problem and he said he would tackle it. He put his reputation on the line saying that. You'd have to say he's delivered."
The Minister for Justice, Michael McDowell, says it would be "tempting fate" to say the feud was over. "There remains the residual subculture of criminality among the groups. I can't say that that has been completely extinguished, but it has been dealt a very serious blow."
Much of Limerick's problem stemmed from the marginalisation of many people as a result of poor social engineering over a long period, McDowell explained. The feud is "very complex" because it also involves members of the Real IRA and Continuity IRA supplying weapons to both factions, he says.
"I was confident the gardaí would get on top of the situation. There were all kinds of ideas put forward, that we should move all trials to the Special Criminal Court or that we should jail people on the word of a Chief Superintendent. There was talk when the Liam Keane murder trial collapsed and he gave the two fingers and all that, that the criminal justice system was on the verge of collapse. But the gardaí in Limerick have reinstated the rule of law."
One source, who does not want to be named, says while the imprisonment of the 25 men is to be welcomed, it is only one factor.
"Much of the feuding that has gone on has been driven by women. Groups from different families can't pass each other on the streets without having a screaming match. They then go home and tell their husbands and partners who was saying what about them . . . After one row the gardaí rounded them up and brought them into court and they were all bound over to the peace for two years. They know if they step out of line again they'll be going to jail. That's had a huge impact".
Locked up: 25 men jailed
June 29th, 2004 Nine men jailed for a total of 38 years for violent disorder. These were: Patrick McCarthy (32), College Ave, Moyross; Kieran Ryan (20), Pineview Gardens, Moyross; Edward McCarthy (24), O'Callaghan Ave, Kileely; David McCarthy (27), O'Callaghan Ave, Kileely. David Sheehan (20), Cliona Pk, Moyross, Limerick, jailed for five years and three months for same offence. Raymond Collopy (34), St Ita's St, St Mary's Pk, was jailed for two years. Declan Sheehy (37), St Brendan's St, St Mary's Pk, was also jailed for three years. Philip Collopy, (24) St Ita's St, and Anthony Keane (41) St Munchin's St, St Mary's Pk, were both jailed for two years for unlawful possession of a weapon.
February, 2004 Michael Scanlon (31) St Mary's Terrace, Askeaton; Sean Smith (30), Loughmore, Mungret jailed for total of 21 years in relation to the discovery of a car bomb and sub-machine gun in Limerick in June, 2003. A third man is awaiting trial in connection with the same offences.
February 26th, 2004 Gary Kirby (23), Hyde Rd, jailed for life for murder of Trevor McNamara in September, 2002.
December 20th, 2003 Five men sentenced to life for the murder of Kieran Keane. These are: James McCarthy (24) of Delmege Rd, Moyross; Anthony McCarthy (21), Fairgreen, Garryowen; Desmond Dundon (20), Hyde Rd; David Stanners (31), Pineview Gardens, Moyross; Christopher Costelloe (20), Moylish Ave, Ballynanty.
November 7th, 2003 Paul Coffey (26) jailed for 15 years for manslaughter after he drove the getaway car in the murder of Eddie Ryan in Limerick in 2000.
June 19th, 2003 Ross Cantillon (20), St Mary's Pk, and Roy Woodland (20), Canon Breen Pk, jailed for seven years for an AK-47 attack on a house in Limerick.
May 20th, 2003 Noel Price (25) Kileely Ave; Michael Stanners (20), Delmege Pk, jailed for an arson attack in Co Clare in 2001.
Other: Christy Keane (43), Singland Gardens, Ballysimon, jailed in 2002 for 10-years for drugs offences. Christopher McCarthy awaiting trial in connection with firearms possession on January 8th, 2004.