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Home Page > News > Irish police confident of arresting Real IRA gunmen responsible for paramilitary display at Alan Ryan funeral

Irish police confident of arresting Real IRA gunmen responsible for paramilitary display at Alan Ryan funeral

Justice Minister condemns action of dissident Republicans

ANTOINETTE KELLY,

IrishCentral Staff Writer

Published Tuesday, September 11, 2012, 7:54 AM

Updated Tuesday, September 11, 2012, 10:20 AM

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Real IRA members at Alan Ryan's funeral in Dublin

Photo by Telegraph

Irish police say they are confident they will arrest the dissident republicans responsible for firing shots at the funeral of Real IRA terror boss Alan Ryan over the weekend.

The 32-year-old was shot dead in Clongriffin in North Dublin in broad daylight last week. The head of a Dublin faction of the Real IRA, it is understood a crime gang ordered a hit on his life.

In 2000, Ryan had been jailed over the discovery of a Real IRA training camp in County Meath.

A large number of dissident republicans travelled from Derry and Belfast for the funeral. Detectives from the Special Branch took a record of those who arrived at the Ryan home in Donaghmede on Saturday morning.

Several men dressed in military-style uniforms fired three shots into the air as the coffin of Ryan was removed from the family home shortly after 9am.

After the incident took place, police decided not to intervene, amid fears arrests would lead to a "full-scale riot situation." Instead they kept those responsible under surveillance. The Irish Independent reports an investigative headquarters was established in Clontarf where both Irish and PSNI officers are liaising.

Meanwhile the Irish Justice Minister Alan Shatter condemned Saturday’s actions as "reprehensible and absolutely unacceptable."

In a statement, Mr Shatter said, "I recognize fully the immediate difficulties which face An Garda Síochána when people take advantage of a funeral to behave in this fashion.

"But the Garda commissioner has assured me that they are pursuing rigorously any breaches of the law which took place.

"The gardai, together with their colleagues in Northern Ireland, will continue to take every action open to them to deal with the activities of members of these groups, whether they are engaging in terrorism or organised crime."

Nster.com

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merefalow | Sep 17, 2012, 04:51 PM EDT

seamus 60 ,i take your point about judicial political execution,but i think we can separate political trials,from the importers ,distributors,and hardcore purveyors of hard drugs,they (authorities}in the west) will never bring the death penalty back because it suits them not to,like i said to much money in it,but if they did this evil would almost disappear overnight.

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seamus60 | Sep 14, 2012, 11:54 AM EDT

Merefalow. With respect the death penalty is a no go area for the simple reason that had we had it, the Birmingham six and Guilford four along with many other Irish people would not have lived to see their belated justice. One only has to look at Liverpool at the moment. Justice still has to be dragged, roaring and screaming from the back rooms of authority. Had the Irish scape goats mentioned above been wrongly executed by the state, its more likely their convictions would never have been overturned.

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merefalow | Sep 14, 2012, 07:34 AM EDT

Irish central operates a censor,anything they don't like they censor,whats wrong in advocating the death penalty for drug dealers?.IF the western world was serious about eradicating drug use and ALL the evil crime ,deaths and despair that is part of it they would.the sultanate of Oman introduced it when drugs started appearing,result LITTLE OR NO DRUGS IN OMAN,SIMPLES.but this would not suit the myriad symbiotic organisations which depend on the MULTI BILLION pound INTERNATIONAL DRUG TRADE as an excuse for their own existence,think about it,the cops with their international travel,massive budgets,the USA drug enforcement agency, really effective they are,not.the probation officers,LAWYERS,JUDICIARY,social workers,the rehab programmes,how many times can a druggie go to rehab at tax payers expense AND STILL GO BACK ON IT,,i know some who have been 5 times or more.The manufacturers of methadone by the ocean full,etc etc ect.ALL of these would have no employment after a very short period of time if the death penalty for DEALING LARGE SCALE IN HARD DRUGS was introduced.A British army who invaded a country where afterwards the drug production actually increased,explain that one.there is no way that we can have drugs in all our cities and towns and villages on the scale that we do WITHOUT THE COLLUSION OF AUTHORITY.this is a watered down version,lets see if it gets printed.

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seanomelb | Sep 14, 2012, 02:17 AM EDT

Firing blanks like Dano and his British apologist west brit friend. maybe they should arrest the thousand mourners as RIRA sympathisers. It's much easier to do than find the killers of Ryan.

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WoundedKnee | Sep 13, 2012, 03:31 AM EDT

joebloggs is correct. A bullet fired in the air can still be lethal as it comes down. Indeed I remember in Georgia a year or two back where a guy tragically killed a young girl who was maybe half a mile away when he fired his rifle in the air as he was cleaning it. Of course this is less likely in the Dublin case, since we are dealing with pistols. Also, the guys may have been firing blanks. While I agree that the Irish police must act to deter these kinds of actions, it is worrying that they appear to be putting more effort into finding the firing party than the murderers.

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joebloggs | Sep 12, 2012, 04:54 PM EDT

Seano thinks my comment was silly, in response what goes up at a lethal velocity usually comes down at a lethal velocity, citizens have a right to go about their lawful business. Do a little research on this organisation, engaged in protection rackets, allowing drug dealing in return for cut

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Brolaur | Sep 12, 2012, 03:08 PM EDT

I cannot believe that the Commissioner said he had an AGREEMENT with those organizing the funeral. He must be the most NAIVE man in the country. He is DISAPPOINTED. He should retire immediately. How can he possibly be the Head of the force after such a blatant stupid judgement call?

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IrelandNorth | Sep 12, 2012, 07:36 AM EDT

To understand all IS to forgive all. Far better to understand than to condemn, which is a by product of the inflated egos. Gardaí and PSNI are both Irish police (sic), being Gárda Síochána na h'Éireann/Guardians of the Peace of Ireland and Police Service of Northern IRELAND. Are Gardaí reciprocating PSNI liason within NI? Was not Michael Collins, (from whom Fine Gael descended), not also engaged in "terrorism" (sic). What a difference a century makes. My argument is for historical accuracy and single standards - not physical force!

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DanOLoingsigh | Sep 11, 2012, 06:48 PM EDT

Seano's OK with firearms being discharged in public by masked men...many people in Ireland don't agree with that view...Liveline was alive with complaints...

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seanomelb | Sep 11, 2012, 06:32 PM EDT

They may have killed three seagulls joebloggs or the man on the moon. Silly comment below.

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aloistmartin | Sep 11, 2012, 03:43 PM EDT

As If there weren't enough Social Fraud and Discontent to go around !

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joebloggs | Sep 11, 2012, 02:55 PM EDT

what is wrong with a gun salute, the display and use of illegal firearms in the hands of the supporters of a terrorist organisation. The discharge of shots into the air not knowing where they will land endangering citizens going about their lawful business. The usurpation of the Irish Constitution, but hey what do I know I only live here.(Ireland that is not a bar stool in the US)

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Searlit | Sep 11, 2012, 02:13 PM EDT

It does seem strange that the display at the funeral gets more attention than the murder in broad daylight. There are different splinter groups now. I've read that some are engaged in fighting the drug dealers, always a dangerous undertaking. It's difficult to keep track of what's going on. Another article, not long ago said that all the groups were going to unite, perhaps this caused a political battle within. I feel sorry for the ones that are trying to do some good, while others, who may call themselves anything they like, cause mayhem. It reminds me of the Guardian Angels group, in a way.

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debimcguin | Sep 11, 2012, 01:40 PM EDT

Not sure what is wrong with a "gun salute", to me that has nothing to do with Terrorism???

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Gordan Duggan | Sep 11, 2012, 01:12 PM EDT

pilibo4: Why would the Garda waste their time hunting those who murdered Ryan. The have better things to do guarding the Irish State from terrorists. They're not going to tell us the rest of their plans. God help those who were photographed and filmed at that disgraceful funeral on Saturday, they will never have an easy night from on. Remember 9/11!

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