ON THIS DAY last year, Owen Maguire was shot four times in Drogheda, Co Louth.

This is seen as the start of a feud between two gangs in the town. By November the situation began to boil over with a range violent attacks taking place.

Locals are becoming increasingly fed up of the feud, and efforts are now underway to bring it to an end. Gardaí have stepped up armed patrols, and the town is eager to make next month’s Fleadh Cheoil pass without a hitch.

However, ending a cycle of violence like this isn’t easy, and often requires a community-wide approach.

In this week’s podcast, TheJournal.ie reporter Garreth MacNamee and Ged Nash, a Labour senator who has represented Louth for two decades, join us to examine the origins of the feud, the scale of the violence so far and the impact on the local population, but also how gardaí and the community can take action to prevent the situation spiraling.

Find a full list of where the podcast is available here.

The Explainer / SoundCloud

This episode was put together by presenter Nicky Ryan, producer Aoife Barry, and executive producer Christine Bohan. Design by Palash Somani.