Ireland’s most notorious criminal Eamon Kelly died on Tuesday after being shot three times in broad daylight while out walking .

A close friend of murdered gang boss Eamon Dunne, Kelly, who was in his 60s and known as The Godfather, was gunned down as he was walking near his home on Furry Park Road in Killester on the northside of Dublin.

He was shot at least three times in the chest, and gardai (police) are investigating whether a 13-year-old girl witnessed the brutal attack.

Kelly had survived a similar assassination attempt in 2010 at the same spot when the would-be killer's gun jammed.

An armed garda patrol on anti-crime duties in the area found Kelly lying on the ground and gave chase as the gunman attempted to flee.

Shortly afterwards, the officers pounced on a suspect in his 30s as a black Lexus car was being set alight.

The suspect is believed to be a dissident republican and an associate of the Real IRA faction on the northside.

Gardai believe tthe murder is a retaliatory strike by the terror gang for Alan Ryan’s murder.

Kelly was known to be an associate of the two gang bosses suspected of organising the hit on Ryan.

Ryan was murdered in September in a daylight gun attack. He had been involved in extortion, racketeering and demanding money from drugs gangs in Dublin.