Shooting of Michael Barr
Coordinates: 53°21′25″N 6°14′58″W / 53.35700°N 6.24939°W Michael Barr was shot dead on 25 April 2016.[1]
Background
He was originally from Strabane, County Tyrone, but moved to Dublin, living in Finglas, then the north inner city at the time of his death.[1][2]
He had pled guilty to handling stolen electrical equipment at Finnstown House Hotel in Lucan, Dublin.[1] He had also been charged with membership of an unlawful organisation calling itself the Irish Republican Army, the IRA or Óglaigh na hÉireann, but the state dropped these charges when he pled guilty to handling the stolen equipment.[1] He was a dissident Republican.[2]
Shooting
He was shot in the Sunset House Bar in Summerhill, Dublin.[1] An Garda Síochána suspect he was killed by the Kinehan gang because of involvement with the shooting of David Byrne at the Regency Hotel in February 2016.[3] There was also speculation that the intended target was a member of the Hutch family drinking in the bar at the time.[2]
Aftermath
The case of handling stolen electrical equipment was dropped by the Special Criminal Court on 28 April 2016, the day he was due to be sentenced.[1] The court marked his indictment "accused deceased".[1]
Funeral
His funeral was held in his home town with around 1,500 people turning out for it.[2] Roughly a dozen men in paramilitary-style uniforms accompanied the funeral cortege to the church, and black flags were placed on lamp posts along part of the route.[2] Fifteen people were arrested at the funeral.[2] Police on both sides of the border were alert.[2]
The parish priest, Fr. Michael Doherty, who performed the funeral mass, sent a message to support to those affected by criminal gangs and said that the people of Strabane supported those of north inner-city Dublin facing violence.[2]
Arrest
A man was arrested and charged with the murder of Michael Barr on 28 May 2016 at the Bridewell Garda station.[4] A Garda witness told the court that the accused made no response when arrested and charged.[4] The accused was granted free legal aid and remanded in custody to appear before Cloverhill District Court on Friday 3 June 2016.[4]
Clondalkin shooting
On the same night, Thomas Farnan was shot dead at Kilcronan estate in Clondalkin. This was not linked to the gang feud.
See also
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Schiller, Robin; Hickey, Damien (29 Apr 2016). "Shooting victim was linked to Mansfield hotel theft". Irish Independent. Retrieved 28 May 2016.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 McKeown, Lesley-Anne (6 May 2016). "Police arrest 15 at funeral of dissident republican Michael Barr". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 28 May 2016.
- ↑ O'Keefe, Cormac (27 Apr 2016). "Gang believed Michael Barr provided safe house". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 28 May 2016.
- 1 2 3 "Man in court charged with murder of Michael Barr". RTÉ News. 29 May 2016. Retrieved 29 May 2016.