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Teenage girl (16) dies in Dublin after drive-by shooting

Justice Minister leads condemnation of feud killing

By
PATRICK COUNIHAN,
IrishCentral Staff Writer
Published Wednesday, February 8, 2012, 7:43 AM
Updated Wednesday, February 8, 2012, 11:51 AM

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The scene of the shooting in Tallaght, Dublin where a 16-year-old girl was killed
The scene of the shooting in Tallaght, Dublin where a 16-year-old girl was killed
Photo by Niall Carson/PA


Ireland’s Justice Minister has to tighten gun laws after a teenage girl died when she was shot in the head in Tallaght. The 16-year-old was sitting in a car in the west Dublin town when she was shot.

A gunman shot the girl from a passing car in a murder which police believe is linked to a feud within the travelling community.

Local police have recovered the getaway car and are awaiting the results of a post-mortem at the nearby Tallaght hospital.

“Even senior officers have been shocked by the brutality of this murder of a 16-year-old girl,” said local politician Charlie O’Connor of Fianna Fail.

“People are struggling to come to terms with the fact that a gunman can shoot a teenage girl dead in such a horrific way.”

Justice Minister Alan Shatter has condemned the shooting.

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“Our sympathies are with the girl’s family after such a revolting crime,” said Minister Shatter.

“Unfortunately we are now witnessing too many murders of this sort in Ireland now.

“We also have too many people with access to guns and access to weapons is too easy. It is something we are reviewing and we will change.”

The girl, just weeks away from her 17th birthday, was one of four people in a silver-coloured Nissan Almera which had pulled into the Brookview estate.

She died when a black Hyundai Santa Fe SUV pulled up alongside her vehicle. At least one shot was fired into the car, shattering the side window.

The girl was hit in the head and died in hospital at around 1am.

Police believe that the shooting is linked to an incident involving a pipe bomb in the Tallaght area last week and is connected to a feud involving Traveller families.

​
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11 Comments

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billie061 | May 20, 2012, 11:17 AM EDT
Danolingsigh How dare you 1 of my best friends is a traveller and she is a quallifed social worker. Its the like of you make their lives hard.

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DanOLoingsigh | Feb 11, 2012, 05:30 PM EST
Irish Travellers, like many nomadic groups, have a complex relationship with their settled neighbours...they want the right to be 'outsiders', but also the benefits that settled groups enjoy...this frequently brings them in to conflict with others...few progress to the kind of jobs that underpin society, eg Teachers, nurses, cops, etc. Many do not prize education, or feel the need to contribute to society at large...their roots are not actually known, and there is evidence that they predate any evictions...I have crossed some of them and faced them in court...if needs be I can bear a grudge too!!!

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ciaradexy | Feb 09, 2012, 08:33 AM EST
This is nothing to do with poverty! Most traveller families here are quite well off! You only have to visit the halting sites and even pass the settled families to see the best and newest jeeps, mercs and caravans! they are a law unto themselves!

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merefalow | Feb 09, 2012, 06:53 AM EST
seems to me there is a large criminal organisation that is largely ignored as long as it doesn't touch the general population.its a mafia that is very powerful,authorities both in uk and ireland seem powerless to control.They flout civil laws that would get ordinary citizens arrested,very often under the iniquitous human rights act and by pleading they are discriminated against,pity the police who have to confront such an organisation,there are good and decent people among them but there is also a darker side,if it wasn,t gun law it would be something else.Some form of gun control or some law from within their own community to protect themselves from themselves maybe.anyway a frightening and intimidating group for ordinary people to have to confront when they decide to occupy other peoples land when ever they wish to..

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DanOLoingsigh | Feb 08, 2012, 05:20 PM EST
nagyhanley - Agree with much of your post...but not that root cause is poverty...unless you mean a 'poverty' of decent values...many poor families manage to keep themselves out of serious crime...Feuds in the TC seem to be a recurring theme...unless that group can accept that this is tearing them to bits...this young girl won't be the last to die in this 'macho mayhem'...her killers were also children of God...killing will only stop when responsibility is accepted, and the rule of law is upheld, which means naming names to the Garda...

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JBRAFTREE | Feb 08, 2012, 05:14 PM EST
W H Y ????? This happens in Chgo and NY and Detroit. Gardai, get a fix on those bastards.

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nagyhanley | Feb 08, 2012, 03:06 PM EST
Can you sit back and think this does not effect you because "police believe the murder is linked to a feud within the traveling community"? Gang related violence effects us all because the root causes are poverty and unemployment loss of values etc. Murder is a crime against God and man. She was a child of God. She did not deserve this. It is all our problem. Everything needs to be done to end murder and violence. Crime experts say it will only escalate and spread.

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Murph46 | Feb 08, 2012, 01:52 PM EST
Pretty casual treatment for the death of a 16 year old girl,what if she were your daughter?

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cillowen | Feb 08, 2012, 10:36 AM EST
ireland is getting to be - a copy of those mexican crazies.

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wyalusingjohn | Feb 08, 2012, 10:15 AM EST
If feuding traveler families or for that matter feuding criminal gangs had no guns would that end the violence?

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colkelley | Feb 08, 2012, 09:27 AM EST
Of course tightening gun laws will work - after all, criminals and outlaws ALWAYS obey gun laws. Can we use some brains and some common sense? Criminals DO NOT CARE about laws or restrictions and this only affects law-abiding citizens.

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