Family grieve as victim of vigilantes is buried

A SINGLE red rose rested on Mr Joseph Dwyer's coffin as it was lowered into the grave at Palmerstown cemetery yesterday morning. On a card attached were the names of his three children, Caroline, Aisling and Gerard.

The gravestone above is inscribed with his wife's name. Betty Dwyer died, aged 33, on January 28th, 1988. Mr Dwyer (41) was beaten to death by a vigilante gang at Basin Lane in Dublin last Tuesday night.

While Father Bertie Moore read the prayers, 12 members of Mr Dwyer's family, including his eight brothers and sisters, stood by, some weeping. At the Requiem Mass in Our Lady of Dolours Church in Dolphin's Barn, Father Moore described Mr Dwyer's death as "particularly tragic, horrifying and appalling".

"We must remember, too", he continued, "Josie Dwyer was one of God's children." He spoke then of the uniqueness of every human life, "no matter how, imperfect in the opinion of some".

"Nobody, absolutely nobody, has the right to take that away, or even to try to justify taking it away", he said. "Nor has anyone the right to indulge in the taking of substances that take from the dignity of life itself."

After prayers at the graveside, relatives and friends of the dead man threw more roses on top of the coffin. A woman pointed at the grave and shouted. "I hope the killers will be in there next week."

Afterwards, Mr Dwyer's older brother, James, said the family knew "every one" of their brother's killers. "The gardai know everyone who killed Josie", he added.

James Dwyer does not want any retaliation for his brother's death. He does not think those who killed him intended to kill anyone. "They were in a frenzy."

A man who described himself as Mr Dwyer's best friend said that the victim had suffered from asthma and was so ill he could not walk more than a few yards without losing his breath. He dismissed any notion of Mr Dwyer being a big drug dealer.

He accused the gardai of leaving the area to vigilantes. He also said that, on the night of the killing, eight other people had been attacked in the Dolphin's Barn area by the same group of vigilantes, including a woman who was seven months' pregnant.

A man who was being questioned by gardai was released on Thursday. A file has been sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Gardai in Kilmainham are continuing their investigation into the killing. Anyone with information should contact them at (01) 6706716.