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EARLIER THIS MONTH, a man stood outside his car in Corduff, west Dublin, and waited for his little brother to leave school so he could drive him home.
A man ran towards the intended victim holding a gun and fired at least four shots in his direction – each of them missing.
Gardaí have described the man’s survival as miraculous but what they now know is that a bubbling feud on the periphery of west Dublin is boiling over – random retaliations are occurring and both side are targeting innocent family members in assaults and vandalism incidents.
The reason behind this latest feud is a familiar story – it’s about drugs, territory and the right to deal in certain areas.
While the shooting outside a school shocked both locals and those across the country, there were more shocking incidents to follow.
Yesterday morning saw one of the feud’s most brazen attacks.
A man had entered Finglas Garda Station to drop off clothes for someone who had been arrested. As he left, he was set upon by a group of men, one of whom sliced the victim’s neck.
The man managed to make his way back to the garda station and an ambulance was called. He lost a lot of blood in the incident. Gardaí are treating the incident as a case of attempted murder.
Officers investigating the current wave of crime in the area believe that criminals linked to the infamous Westies gang are in a drug turf war with associates of a gang led by a young criminal known for flaunting his wealth on social media, something which has earned him the name of Mr Flashy in both gangland and garda circles.
The feud has reached across all levels of society, with a number of young professionals now involved. Gardaí believed that one man in his 20s who works for a high-end car dealership is now moving significant quantities of cocaine around the northside of Dublin to pay back a drug debt he racked up with one of the gangs.
Now, as penance and as a way of paying off the debt, the man is believed to be moving significant quantities of cocaine around the northside of Dublin.
The feud, as many in Dublin go, has seen innocent members of the extended families of these criminals targeted.
In recent weeks, the homes and property of innocent brothers, sisters, uncles and cousins of the gangland figures have been targeted by vandals.
In one instance, a woman was set upon while walking with her infant child who was in a pram at the time. The pram was pushed into a street and the woman received minor injuries from the assault. The child was physically unharmed.
The tit-for-tat incidents has been ramping up in recent weeks. As a result, armed patrols of areas frequented by the gangs have been increased and units across the Garda K district, which covers Blanchardstown and Finglas, have been told to immediately pass on any intelligence they receive – no matter how insignificant it may seem – to the drugs unit.
Various operations have been conducted by gardaí as a result of the upsurge in crime. Local sources have described how many inside the gangs want the violence to end as it is having a detrimental effect on the amount of money being brought in from drug sales.
Last month, gardaí from Blanchardstown conducted searches in a number of areas in Corduff. During that operation, five sawn-off shotguns, ammunition, a crossbow, and a quantity of cannabis herb were seized.
Superintendent Liam Carolan said at the time that “adequate Garda resources are being utilised to deal with this investigation and are supported by Garda National Units including the Armed Support Unit”.
He added: “We are very conscious of the needs of the people and the sentiments that are being expressed by people living in the Corduff area. Significant progress has been made regarding this investigation.”
Just two weeks after those seizures, Lee Boylan was shot a number of times as he sat in a van in Mulhuddart, west Dublin. Boylan, who is in his mid 20s, was shot a number of times as he sat in a van in traffic at the junction of Blakestown road and Huntstown Way,
He was treated at the scene by emergency services personnel and removed by ambulance to Connolly Hospital.
Gardaí in the area are hoping for extra resources to deal with the feud.
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Give the Greeks the two fingers and the one finger as well. They retire at 50, they don’t pay tax, they bribe government officials and a succession of governments have ignored it. We’ve had our problems but most of us took it on the chin. The American Prof was interesting today. He laid the blame clearly and unambiguously at the door of ALL bankers and regulators.
There’s as much responsibility on those who lend money as those who borrow it. Greece should never have been let into the Euro. But if we’re playing that game, the Euro should never have been created in the first place as it marries economies that are too dissimilar.
They also owe us money… we baled them out…
In hindsight Greece should never have been allowed in, but at the time they lied their way through it.
@dara. And no one from the EU bothered checking the books
@ EL531W
Our neighbours across the water said that from day 1, and that was their main reason for not wanting a hand, act or part in it. If memory serves me right they got a real slagging over it at the time too – accused of being aloof, arrogant and and self-righteous etc.. How the tables have turned…
One of the lies was the audit they did in one of Athens largest hospitals which was losing money hand over fist.
There were 45 gardeners on the staff and guess what ?…..They didn’t even have a garden .
The euro is a currency for a single country . The future united Europe where we are all heading .
Heh Wolfgang Schaeuble how about the Germans repaying the monies they stole from the Greeks during the second world war. Would you agree to that?
Germany thinks the world has forgotten. They’re wrong.
That’s why the term don’t mention ze war was invented
Germany repaid it’s debts from the war in fill in 2009 if i remember the discussion about it on newstalk today…although I’ll probably be told that they’re patty of the DOB media conspiracy do they’re lying..
In the aftermath of the war the yanks actually stepped in and paid most of Germany’s war reparations on their behalf, as they feared a return to fascism if the German economy was crippled (a rare occasion of the yanks actually being insightful). Pretty ironic that most of Germany’s debts were written off due to their economy being a basket case, given recent events.
I thought that referred to reparations made resulting from the treaty of Versailles signed in 1919 although I may be mistaken. Then again, even if that included payments relating to WW2, 60 years is a pretty generous repayment period, never mind what inflation would have greatly reduced the value of any payments over that kind of time period.
hey Kerry – how about we stop this stupid shit and just blame the living population for their sins?
What is it with people on the journal bitching and moaning about stuff they weren’t even alive for? Is there ever a moment when you people can think for yourselves?
@Dara – that was WW1 debts, not WW2…….
Old Wolfgang should have been cast as a bond movie bad guy – all he’s missing is the white cat
Wolfgang should be reminded that Germany still owes millions to the rest of Europe for WWII donner und blitzen Angela !
Germany owe nothing as they had loads of it written off. and reached a debt restructuring deal to only start paying remainder when exports were at 3% and above.
Denis how much German bank debt have the Irish people paid and continue to pay way way into the future.? If you pay my debts would I not owe you, morally and legally.
What?
It’s paying back. If someone borrowed 500 from you would you expect them
To pay it back?
What if they borrowed and spent it with no control. Civil servants day offs the norm. No productivity, work or results Country vastly overspending. Then complaining they have to pay it back.
It’s simple logic. Their chickens have come home to roost. Because people don’t like the idea of paying it back they can have forgiveness is it? What?
If they do not compromise with Greece they will drive Greece out of the euro which will trigger a contagion affect to countries like Portugal, Spain Italy and the euro will be finished which will be a devastating blow to the EU that could itself quickly unravel. I may be totally wrong of course but whatever happens history is in the making these next few weeks and months.
Go Green , you are spouting cliches. The euro will survive a potential Greek default. It is stronger now. Do you just repeat the manta without updating it ?
You are right Rory the ECB has more firepower that it did a few years ago but still not nearly enough if big countries like Italy begin to wobble after the uncertainty if Greece exits . That is my opinion as I said I may be wrong but that is the way I read it, nothing cliche about it.
They can’t contain a 1trillion Spanish defauld and podemos are set to win in a few months.
Truth is nobody knows what will happen. Not even the ‘experts’ all we have is facts. If Greece go they walk away owing a lot. They’ll have their lot to deal with. For Europe the whole financial landscape will change. The markets will go wild, focusing on Spain and Portugal. You don’t need experts to see forecast this far. Possible run on banks, this just a possibility. No doubt though more Euro will need to be printed causing deflation (Europe are already doing similar without the Greek exit). This will greatly affect the British Pound as it will become very strong against the Euro. Causing them all sorts of problems.
If Spain vote in a left leaning government (and it’s looking more likely they will) and look for the same as Greece we could be definitely be looking at the end of the single currency
Who really knows what will happen.
I think Italy deserves a special mention…
Sorry Paul, you’re absolutely correct. Italy definitely need a mention. That puts even more pressure on the single currency should Greece leave. Next month or so is going to be very interesting.
Greece needs to show Germany their willingness to overcome austerity rather than producing the begging bowl. The Germans could help Greece but there needs to be a shared responsibility for that to happen.
If the Germans hadn’t got away with forcing other countries like ours to pay their debts they would be a little bit more understanding of countries in dire straits like Greece and Schaeuble might have liitle more humility. The ECB were never going to allow the backbone of the Euro to be damaged in such a manner so the little people from the little countries were made pay for the Germans greed or was stupidity.
Why pump money into an insolvent state to prop up insolvent banks. The can is now being kicked down a cul de sac “END GAME”.
I mean who are the Germans. Were they not bailed out after world war 2. Hypocrites !!
You think they lost the war?
Go Greece
Sticking a very polite finger up to the 1% who own the banks
Surely 99% rest of us should support them ?
Not our Enda he refuses to support the Greek call for a debt conference despite getting elected on a vow to renegotiate the bank debt,, he see’s himself as part of the 1% now, The one percent just look at him as a useful peasant idiot.
I don’t think is a bluff, the new Greek government is not bluffing and the EU knows it, they have absolutely nothing to lose, either way they are screwed, at least they can be screwed on their own terms and being masters of their own future and recovery. I am surprised they haven’t called the Germans hypocrites using their debt forgiveness after WW2 and the retribution money Germany still owes the Greeks from WW2
This is not democracy, Germany controls the euro zone and it has to be stopped. wish our so called reps had a backbone,but no they just have long tongues
Yea like we know how to manage an economy better
The Germans have very short memories, they seem to have forgotten the destruction that they caused during world war 2 and the help they received after the war and during the fall of East Germany .
It seems to be it’s all one way traffic take take take.
Hitler might be dead but the Germans haven’t changed much.
Germany are and have been the biggest contributors to the European pot, how is that all take take take?
Any money they received after the war was paid back and they did it without breaking their back through fiscal responsibility.
Paul Mc you couldn’t be more wrong
Paul wants to be Conor Mcgregor.
none of those people are alive now… why would you judge the current population by them?
Germany only recently came across with their repairations after a 50% write down in 1953 yet the Greeks are not to be afforded any such leeway with a high probability of the remaining PIGS to follow over the cliff and into zie würst-maker!!
http://www.dw.de/german-economic-miracle-thanks-to-debt-relief/a-16630511
@Credit – they defrauded their way into the euro – let them burn while the rest of us pay what we owe.
Have zero sympathy for Greece
I’ll whup ur ass boyo.
And yet ‘Paddy’ could be brow-beaten and ‘defrauded’ into making austere repairations from the lower rungs of the EuroRaum banking ponzi scheme and still doff the cap for the privilege!
You’re right dara, people like Paul won’t let the truth get in the way of a good prejudice!
Greece: “Hi, can I borrow some cash?”
Lender: “Shouldn’t be a problem, have you ever borrowed before?”
Greece: “Uh, yes…”
Lender: “Cool, how did it end up? Did you repay it the way you said you would?”
Greece: “ummmm….. well……. urrrrrr……nearly……..actually not really!”
Lender: “ah, computer says no”
you make it sound like country’s that default never get to borrow again.
The Jerries will win the war
Syriza, the end is in sight, you cannot match your promises. Nobody gets debts like yours forgiven. It’s tough, but my bank won’t write off my mortgage either. Sorry .
Congrats Rory, stupidest comment of the week award for you. Not sure how I’m going to post it to you though with you living on the moon.
Irish , got it even in outer space. You failed to mention why it was stupid, two questions.
1 Did Greece borrow money
2. Has it a problem in repaying the money plus interest.?
If the answer to both questions is “yes” then my point seems to stand.
That’s only one question
Your dead on Rory. Greece like ourselves got into a mess. Different reasons we had a banking meltdown but the coffers were in good shape till we linked bank debt to sovereign bonds ensuring that hopeless sinking ships was kept afloat. Problem was a couple of those ships were already under water and pulled the whole thing down.
Greece on the other hand had structural deficits for years massive overspend while increasing spending far more than tax take as well as having awful tax enforcement and a weak economy. Cooked the books to hide what they could but we’re massively exposed.
We linked ourselves to banks dealing in euro effectively capital flight we in other words stopped a European meltdown of banks by jumping on the grenade. The banks went because housing bubble left them open to shocks they needed liquidity when that stopped coming from countries it was game over man for them. We turned their problem into our own.
So we are different from the Greeks they overspend and now don’t want to pay it back. As bad as we got stung we are bouncing back. Greece is sinking deeper it’s a car crash we are watching in slow motion. Maybe more could be done lower interest extend the loan invest in infastructure. But like any of use we took out a mortgage we have to pay it back.
Every time I see Charles’ profile picture I freak the f*ck out a little inside
Steven, if that’s the level of your numeracy no wonder your take on the situation is flawed…
Daniel. …. Oh Daniel. ….. I’m coming for you……
Under you bed at night I’ll be there to give you that fright. I like to start from the end. Toes first and creep up more and more
See you soon ;)
Greece has simply been irresponsible. There is no grey area.
Ireland took on reality and has marched back to strength. All that income tax back in the country coffers to pay for health and social welfare has been put there through hard work.
Let the Greeks do some hard work.
The leftie loons and their howling at the moon about self determination and the will of mother nature is pure BS.
Sinn Fe]n needs to move permanently to Greece and guide them through their crisis.
Here in Ireland, we have work to do.
Last line sounds familiar…..”more to do”…..just not on the backs of the well to do!
What is with the Jerries and their desire for an empire?
Maybe they should reflect on how many times their attempts to control Europe has ended in tears for them or at very least think about how every other country helped them when they were a pure basketcase.
Downvoted for saying “jerries” – you knob.
Oohhh you called me a knob, run away little boy or I’ll tell your mammy you were on the internet calling people names.
Got any more cool slang?
I’m not teaching you any bad words.
Guys you have to look at this please share this…..
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1029987353683488&fref=nf
Flipping hell, and only 3 days after the deadline. They certainly act like a private company except with the impunity of the public sector. A tough slap in the face really.
The last time the Germans tried to take over Europe it all ended in tears in 1945 as it will again!
The bluff has being well and truly called. there are consequence to greek stupidity
Our spineless yellow masters who betrayed our country are scared in case Greece get a deal and proved by Edna KenKnees comments when visiting big filth in Europe yesterday. He has good reason to be afraid as Germany will buckle otherwise they lose and Greece knows this.
Let’s not forget folks that money and debt are an illusion!
Greece is so corrupt it’s like Charlie had been in power for 25 years. And we are talking seventies CJH not early nineties. It doesn’t fit with Europe. It would be better off in the African Union. It would be better for all if a divorce was negotiated.
Das Euro ist Tod. Es ist Kaput. The QE is too little too late. If there isn’t growth many of the peripheral countries will follow Greece. The Euro will only work if there is honesty between the member countries. With Ireland’s low rate of Corporate tax that’ll be a tough call.
Shared.
Angela Merkel has often said that the world was very kind to Europe after WW2: similarly Germany was very kind to the rest of Europe for the last 20 years.
The Greeks are behaving teenagers. They are like Jay from the Inbetweeners. Eventually someone had called them on their bulls*€t.
Greece’s strategy is “Let’s shame the rest of Europe into giving us more money even though we pissed it away before. ”
Our answer: best of luck lads.
Literally every cent is leaving Greece now.
@Tom The Greek government were voted in by a huge majority …are you saying they should do what Enda did and tare off their sheeps clothing once elected and fling themselves at the feet of the ECB and ignore democracy.?
I’m saying they’ve got to live in the real world. They won’t get a universal write down of debt, something they promised. In the history of politics, politicians generally promise something which can be delivered but then fails because of circumstances, special interests, etc.
Syriza promised something not achievable -a write down of debt coupled with structured reform was simply not achievable. Tsipras has now travelled around Europe like a petulant teen and by rejecting the Troika, they will run out of money. Even if a deal is done now, where will Greece get money? Would you be happy if your pension fund invested in Greece?
This situation is an elegant demonstration of the limitations of populist politics. Everyone contemplating casting a vote on the basis that anyone is better than the current crowd should watch carefully.
Bit of an inferiority complex there Paul?
have your say