Young man shot in Dublin is believed to have dissident links

The shooting happened on McKee Road in Finglas, in the north of the city, shortly before 3:15pm.

One man suffered apparent gunshot wounds, a Garda spokesman said.

“He has been brought to the Mater Hospital. His condition is described as serious,” he added.

Investigating gardai are at the scene.

The victim is described by security sources as having been close to Alan Ryan, the Real IRA boss gunned down near his family home in the Grange Lodge estate in Clongriffin in 2012.

He is understood to be 25 years old.

Reports say he was sitting in the driver seat of a car, having dropped off passengers, when he was shot a number of times by an attacker in a passing car.

One Garda source said it was “unlikely” the attack was directly linked to the bloody gangland feud which saw gunmen storming the city’s Regency Hotel earlier this month, killing one and wounding two others.

That shooting, and a suspected follow-up reprisal in the north inner city, led to heavily armed gardai being put on patrol in parts of the capital.

Noel Rock, newly elected TD for the area, said gardai must be given all the resources needed to bring an end to the bloodshed on the streets.

“This latest shooting highlights precisely the kind of crime problems that this city is increasingly facing,” he said.

“Earlier this month the Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald announced the provision of additional resources to allow gardai to conduct the operations and investigations needed to apprehend the thugs responsible and keep our streets safe.

“Dublin’s new dedicated Armed Support Unit will help this ongoing situation but the gardai must be given all the necessary resources to target and catch these violent criminals.”