Man shot in face outside Dublin pub was convicted drug dealer

The intended victim of a shooting in which four people were wounded, three of them women, is a well-known drug dealer who has been investigated by a number of specialist Garda units in recent years.

Greg Lynch (28) is in a critical condition after he was shot in the face while standing on the roadside at Hanlon’s Corner on the Old Cabra Road in Dublin’s north inner city at 2.25am yesterday.

He had been attending a 21st birthday party in Hanlon’s pub and was outside smoking, along with other patrons, including the three injured women. A man wearing a balaclava approached Mr Lynch and fired a number of shots to his face. People ran for cover and the three women were shot.

The gunman got into a nearby BMW car driven by an accomplice and they escaped from the area at speed.

The women, aged 19, 28 and 33 years and from the south inner city, suffered leg wounds. While their injuries are not life-threatening, the shooting of three people in the crossfire of a gangland attack is unprecedented.

Mr Lynch was taken to the Mater hospital and the women were taken to St James's Hospital and Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown. One woman has since been discharged.

'Chaotic' scene
Speaking outside the pub yesterday afternoon, Supt David Taylor said when gardaí arrived the scene was "chaotic". They found the injured man lying on the footpath with gunshot wounds to his face.

The three women had been brought inside the pub and were being comforted by patrons.

“It was an indiscriminate shooting of people enjoying themselves at a 21st party. The consequences were serious – they could have been absolutely awful,” Supt Taylor said.

“People are very traumatised by what happened here.”

He called on anyone who was at the party, who witnessed the shooting or who may have seen the car leaving the scene to contact gardaí at the Bridewell Garda station (01-6668200) or on the Garda confidential line (1800-666111).

Bulletproof vest
Gardaí had warned Mr Lynch several times that his life was in danger and he was known to wear a bulletproof vest as a precaution.

A convicted drug dealer, he has been involved in the drugs trade since he was a teenager and is still an active dealer.

He has been a target of a number of specialist Garda units including the Organised Crime Unit and the Garda National Drug Unit.

Gardaí believe he has close associations with Christy Kinahan, a convicted drug dealer from Dublin who runs, from his base in Spain, what security sources believe is one of the biggest drug-importing operations in the British and Irish markets.

Gardaí believe the attack was well planned and that Mr Lynch had been under surveillance by those who shot him. Detectives also believe the attackers had accurate information on Mr Lynch’s movements and were waiting for him.

Mr Lynch is from the Oliver Bond House flats complex in the south inner city but had a recent address in the Marylands estate, also in Dublin 8.

He spent three years in prison after he was caught at the age of 19 with heroin valued at €400,000.

He has more than 40 convictions, though his conviction in relation to the drugs find is the most serious.