GARDAI have yet to establish a motive for the murder of Mr Michael Brady, the 38 year old man shot dead in Dublin on Thursday night in what may have been another contract killing.

Mr Brady was not involved in organised crime and may have been killed for "personal" reasons, according to Garda sources. It is suspected that he was killed by members of a Dublin drug trafficking gang with a grudge against him.

Mr Brady was released from prison 18 months ago after serving the bulk of the 10 year sentence he was given in July, 1987, for the manslaughter of his 27 year old wife, Julia, in December, 1985. He killed her after a day long Christmas drinking binge and left her body in the living room of their house in Harelawn Park, Clondalkin, to be found the next morning by their young children.

Gardai say it was a drunken and extremely vicious attack which included rape and ended in strangulation. He pleaded his innocence until his trial, then changed his plea to guilty of manslaughter.

The couple's two daughters, who are now in their early and mid teens, were brought up by Julia's mother and father in their Cabra home. Yesterday, the dead woman's father, Mr William Hyland, said neither he nor his wife wished to discuss the killing.

At the time of his wife's death, Brady was a bricklayer and not involved in crime. He is said to have made a determined effort to improve himself while in prison. Since his release he had avoided drinking and was said to have lived a quiet life. Gardai say there is nothing to connect him with criminal activity in Dublin.

However, the gardai know that a Dublin criminal held a longstanding grievance against him. The criminal and his associates have been responsible for at least two killings in the city in the past two years.

Mr Brady was shot dead at about 9.15 p.m. on Thursday when he stopped his car at the gates of an underground car pare in an apartment complex on Ellis Street, off Ellis Quay in Dublin.

Witnesses said he seemed to be putting his hands in his pockets, possibly to pull out the "swipe" card to open the electronic gates.

A motorcycle turned in off the quays and stopped close to the car. The passenger walked up to the car and shot a number of bullets through the partially opened driver's window, hitting Mr Brady in the upper body. He died in his car seat, still strapped into his seat belt.

The pillion passenger got back on to the motorcycle and it sped off to Benburb Street and turned right. The motorcycle, which had no faring, was described by witnesses as being dark coloured and may have had a silver stripe or writing on it. Most witnesses thought it was a 250 cc machine. The white number plates had the numbers 712 or 812 and may have been foreign.

The gunman was described as being around 5 ft 8 ins, of slim build and wearing dark clothes. He had a white, full face helmet, possibly with a blue stripe. The driver was wearing dark clothes and a dark full face helmet.

The gardai suspect that those involved in the killing may have visited the area a number of times to familiarise themselves with it and have asked anyone who noticed anyone acting suspiciously around Ellis Street in recent weeks to come forward. They have also asked anyone who was in the area before the shooting and may have noticed anything suspicious to contact them.

Mr Brady lived alone in nearby Arran Quay and had been renting the parking space off Ellis Street for a number of months.

Reports that threats were made against the dead man some years ago are being investigated. However, Chief Supt Dick Kelly, of Fitzgibbon Street station, who is leading the murder investigation, said they had not yet established a motive for the killing.

The Fianna Fail spokesman on justice, Mr John O'Donoghue, reacting to the killing, called for the establishment of a specialist unit to tackle organised crime.

Ms Liz O'Donnell, justice spokeswoman for the Progressive Democrats, called on the public to support the gardai in their investigations into contract style killings and organised crime.