By Charlie Mallon
Saturday July 19 2008
The horrific deaths of two young men in Dublin within 12 hours brings to 10 those murdered by gun gangs so far this year.
Six of them have lost their lives in Dublin, two in Limerick, one in Sligo and one in Co Donegal.
The New Year was just five days old when the first victim of gun terror was killed.
David Lynch, a father of four, was shot dead in a housing estate in Sligo town on January 5. A convicted armed raider, he was gunned down as he got out of a van near his home on Collery Drive.
Conflict between dissident republican paramilitaries spilled over into the Republic on February 12 when a Northern man was shot dead outside a Catholic church in Co Donegal.
Andrew Burns (27), a painter and decorator from Strabane, Co Tyrone, was shot dead near Castlefin, allegedly because he was a police informer.
On Monday morning February 18, Dublin saw its first gun gang victim.
The body of 21-year-old Darren Guerrine was found near his home at the Grand Canal in Bluebell, Inchicore. He had been shot twice in the head execution style, but gardai do not believe he had any links with major criminals. He had only minor convictions for public order and road traffic offences.
In March, two Dublin gangland figures met their deaths within 48 hours.
On Thursday night, March 6, drug dealer John Berney was shot dead in front of his partner in his home in Newcastle, Co Dublin. A masked man shot him several times after bursting into the couple's bedroom.
Richie McCormack (29), became the fifth victim of gun crime when he was shot by a lone gunman outside his brother's home in Ronanstown, Clondalkin.
Gardai said the father of one was connected to organised crime and associated with well known drug dealers.
Limerick's spiral of violence saw 40-year-old Mark Moloney shot dead in the Garryowen area on April 5.
Two days later, the body of 20-year-old James Cronin was found in a makeshift grave in Limerick -- apparently murdered to keep him quiet about the identity of those involved in the Moloney murder.
On April 18, Anthony Russell, a gangland figure, drug dealer and murder suspect was shot dead in a pub in Artane on Dublin's Northside.
He was hit at least 10 times as he waited to take part in a poker school at the pub.
- Charlie Mallon
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