Former Cahill associate again shot in Dublin

A FORMER associate of Martin Cahill was again in hospital last night after surviving the second attempt on his life in two months.

Mr Martin Foley was ambushed in his car in Crumlin yesterday evening, as he drove home shortly before 7 p.m.

He survived at least four shots which were fired at the car, but was hit in the back as he tried to escape through a nearby house. He was taken by ambulance to St James's Hospital where his injuries were said to be "not life threatening".

A white Honda Civic car believed to have been used in the latest attempt was later found in Walkinstown. Gardai believe the car was used as a getaway vehicle by last night's attacker, after he had followed Mr Foley into a house on Cashel Avenue in an attempt to shoot him.

A Garda spokesman said Mr Foley - who lives nearby on Cashel Road - abandoned his car when fired upon and jumped over a garden wall. He then broke through the back door of a house and was attempting to escape through a window when he was hit in the back.

The previous attack happened on the night of December 5th last. On that occasion Mr Foley was shot in the side by a gunman who approached him near Fatima Mansions in Rialto, but he recovered after a period in hospital. A Garda source at the time said Mr Foley had been under threat of an attack.

During the 1980s, Mr Foley was a close associate of Martin Cahill, the Dublin criminal known as "The General", who was shot dead in August 1994. He was also an associate of Dominic McGlinchey, the former INLA man who was shot dead in Drogheda earlier in 1994.

He was one of the people who came under heavy Garda scrutiny when the force embarked on a policy of "overt surveillance" against Cahill in an attempt to disrupt his activities.

During this period, he was convicted of threatening a garda with a crossbow after returning from a party in Cahill's home. He said in court he had become hysterical after being followed home by three Garda cars and a Garda motorcyclist.

He was given a suspended sentence, however, because the judge said there was a doubt as to whether the crossbow was loaded.

But the following month he was handed a six month sentence for assaulting a detective. The detective suffered a broken jaw.

Garda sources say Mr Foley has kept a low profile in recent years.