Murder of Paul Kavanagh ‘terrible and evil’, funeral told

Mourners at the funeral of a man who was gunned down on a Dublin street last month have been told his killing was “terrible and evil”.

Paul Kavanagh a father-of-two was ambushed and shot dead in a targeted attack believed to be linked to organised crime. He was attacked outside his rented home in Drumcondra, which had probably been staked out.

The deceased was in his late 20s and originally from Drimnagh. While he possessed only minor convictions for road traffic and public order offences, he was suspected of being involved in drug-related organised crime.

He is survived by his partner Gemma and his daughters Meadow and Matilda.

Fr Sean McArdle, celebrating the funeral mass on Tuesday, wondered if those who commit such acts of violence are beyond empathy.

“Death brings great sadness into all our lives. The cruel, violent death of a young man like Paul leaves us numb,” he told the congregation.

“All life is precious. What happened to Paul was terrible and evil; sadly, all too frequent in our city. And remember that violence is never against one person, it devastates the family and the community.

“I wonder if the people who do these awful acts could see the heartbreak that they cause, would it make any difference. Are their hearts so hard that they can’t be touched?”

Mr Kavanagh was believed to have links to an Irish-led gang operating from Spain. It has been responsible for importing drugs to the Irish market for over ten years. His relationship to those involved is being investigated as a likely reason for his killing. As he was laid to rest on Tuesday, there had been no arrests in relation to the shooting.

Ireland's Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) star Conor McGregor attended the Dublin funeral. While Mr McGregor's relationship, if any, to the deceased is unclear, he remained surrounded by friends after the service and was greeted warmly by many of those present.

The 26-year-old from Tallaght, who has been a rising star in the popular fighting sport, was dressed in a blue checked suit and tie, and sporting his trademark beard and slicked hair. Despite the lugubrious occasion, he posed for photographs with many of those present at the service in the Church of Our Lady of Good Counsel on the Mourne Road, Drimnagh.