A DUBLIN COMMUNITY is reeling from news that a local man was savagely attacked and murdered by a gang of men in their area.
Neil Reilly, known to gardaí for drugs and burglary offences, was killed in the early hours of yesterday morning. His death is believed to be connected to shots fired at a house in Clondalkin at around 4am.
A number of cars left the scene of the shooting incident and a chase ensued to Esker Glebe in Lucan where one car was rammed. Gardaí have received reports of knives and a machete being used to injure the 36-year-old in the altercation that followed. They have also been told that he was run over with a car.
Yesterday Superintendent Dermot Mann described the victim’s injuries as “substantial”.
Reilly, who was himself a father, was murdered within 100 metres of two schools and local Fine Gael councillor William Lavelle said many parents learned of the frightening incident as they passed by the scene in the morning with their children.
“People are really shocked that a person lost their life in what was an absolutely horrific crime. To be beaten up, stabbed, slashed, run over – all on a public road – it’s just horrific,” he said.
There could have been innocent bystanders caught up in it, that’s what scares people.
The area has been no stranger to violent crime in recent months. On Halloween night, Robert Ellis was chased through Neilstown and stabbed to death. And just before Christmas, Noel Kirwan, who was an associate of Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch, was shot dead in Clondalkin as he sat in a car with his partner.
Liona O’Toole, another local councillor, said people in the area are concerned about the increasing level of violence recently.
“It’s happening far too often. It was happening quietly for sometime and now it has started to come to the top, it’s spilling out onto the streets.”
Though local representatives acknowledged gardaí do their best, they pointed out that resources had been cut and claimed this has added to problems with crime in the area.
“They’ve cut the number of community guards in Ronanstown – I’ve written to Frances Fitzgerald about this – and they’re badly missed,” Ruth Nolan, Independents 4 Change councillor, told TheJournal.ie.
Yesterday, Superintendent Mann said a number of people came out of their homes at Esker Glebe when the cars crashed outside. Gardaí believe they may have witnessed the altercation and they are asking people to help them piece together what happened and establish who was responsible.
“People just want to live their lives and rear their family in peace, no one likes to see such a violent murder happen where they live,” she said. “It must have been like something from a movie if anybody saw it – it must have been terrifying.”
William Lavelle stressed this kind of violent crime cannot be allowed to continue.
“To kill a man on the side of the road in such a violent way – that is not acceptable in any society. These thugs need to be brought to justice.”
Anyone with information about this incident has been urged to contact gardaí, in confidence, at Lucan garda station on 01 666 73000 or anonymously using the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say