Gardaí investigate fatal shooting of woman (30s) in north Dublin

A major Garda investigation was underway on Sunday after a woman was fatally shot in a house in north Dublin.

Sandra Boyd (36) and a mother of five, sustained at least one gunshot wound to her upper body in Finglas, north Dublin on Saturday night.

It is understood Ms Boyd lived with her family in the house where she was shot.

The fatal shooting, just after 8.40pm on Collins Place, was the second shooting on the road in five days.

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Last Tuesday, windows were broken when a house on the street was shot at with an adjacent property also hit with at least one bullet.

Local people who spoke to The Irish Times on Sunday morning said they were very concerned about the two shooting incidents, especially as the latest had claimed the life of a local woman.

“She was only a young woman, only in her 30s, so it’s very sad and I think everyone is just shocked,” said one local who has lived in the area for decades.

“It was worrying enough last week when you have that kind of thing going on your doorstep and now to find out today this girl is dead is just awful, it really is.”

Local people also stressed they had no information linking last Tuesday’s attack and Saturday night’s fatal shooting.

The Garda investigation into the latest incident was still in its infancy early on Sunday and it was unclear if it is related to last Tuesday’s gun attack on the same road.

However, Garda sources said one strong line of inquiry was that there were several people in the house on Collins Place on Saturday night and that a gun was somehow discharged in the property and wounded Ms Boyd.

Detectives have not ruled out the possibility that the gun was discharged accidentally.

It appears Ms Boyd sustained the fatal shot either inside the house or at the back of the property, which is a mid-terrace house in a local authority estate off Ballygall Road West and close to St Canice’s Boys National School.

They believe the people in the house at the time can be of vital importance to investigating gardaí as they attempt to piece together the events before the shot was fired.

A gun, believed to be that used in the shooting, was found in the house after the shooting.

Gardaí and paramedics rushed to the scene on Collins Place on Saturday night once the alarm was raised and Ms Boyd was given medical treatment in the house.

She was then taken by ambulance to the Mater Hospital in the north inner city where she was pronounced dead on Saturday night.

Her remains were taken to City Morgue, Griffith Ave, Whitehall, Dublin, on Sunday for a postmortem by State Pathologist Dr Sally Ann Collis.

Gardaí have appealed for anyone who was in the area at the time of the shooting, or had any information to share, to come forward.

The area remains sealed-off on Sunday for a forensic examination by members of the Garda Technical Bureau.

No arrests have been made.

The north Dublin suburb of Finglas has had a serious gun crime and organised crime problem for many years and has witnessed a recent increase in street attacks between rival gangs of young men who deal drugs in the area.

There has also been a series of non-fatal feud-related shootings in the area in recent months and there is concern at the number of firearms that appear to be in circulation within the criminal fraternity locally.

Gardaí said they were “appealing for anyone with information on this fatal shooting to contact investigating gardaí” at Finglas Garda station and are also seeking any footage being recorded in the area at the time, including CCTV and dashcam recordings.

"An Garda Síochána are also appealing for any person driving in the area of Collins Park, Ballygall Road West or any adjacent or surrounding roads between 8pm and 9pm, particularly drivers of any vehicle or other roads users who may have video footage to contact investigating gardaí," the Garda said.

Gardaí in Finglas can be contacted on (01) 666 7500 or people with information can contact the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda station.