Liam Keane's family no strangers to gardai in city

Background: Liam Keane's family are no strangers to the gardaí in Limerick. The 19-year-old is the son of Christy Keane, currently serving a 10-year prison sentence for drugs related offences.

Liam Keane's uncle was Kieran Keane, the Limerick drug dealer who was abducted and shot dead just outside the city last January.

In May 2002 at Limerick Circuit Court, Christy Keane (42) was described as the leader of the gang responsible for most of the drugs in the Shannon-side city.

The court heard that Christy Keane, of Singland Gardens, Ballysimon, was caught with 19.5 kg of cannabis by three Garda detectives at St Munchin's Street on August 21st, 2001.

The cannabis, which was contained in a coal sack, was being carried by Christy Keane across some waste ground when he was apprehended. It had a street value of €240,000 and was sufficient to make 190,969 hand-rolled cigarettes, the court heard.

A defence witness, who was not named during the proceedings because he was before the court on another charge, said he was carrying the "sack of hash" when he saw gardaí coming towards him. He claimed he had dropped the hash and hidden.

Christy Keane, who pleaded not guilty to possession of the drug worth in excess of €12,697 for sale or supply, said he had been wrongly identified by gardaí. He claimed he was carrying a bridle and a rope for a horse when he was confronted by the officers.

Supt Gerry Mahon, of Roxboro Garda station, told the court that Christy Keane, a father of two, was not a drugs courier but a gang leader who had no known means of income and was living in a private house. He had a criminal record dating back to 1978 when he was convicted of larceny in a juvenile court.

Judge Sean O'Leary said Christy Keane was a substantial operator in the drugs scene as evidenced by his ownership of a sizeable cache of drugs.

After sentencing, Judge O'Leary referred to a court atmosphere which he described as hostile to the jury. On the first day of the trial, he ordered a person out of the court for acting in an intimidatory manner towards the jury. He was not suggesting Christy Keane was responsible but he did not want it to happen again, he said.

With Christy in prison, his younger brother Kieran (36) assumed control of his brother's drugs enterprise. Kieran was the main suspect in the 2000 murder of Limerick man Eddie Ryan Snr. He was shot dead in November of that year as he sat drinking in Limerick's Moose Bar.

Kieran Keane and Eddie Ryan Snr had once been close, but had fallen out and become bitter rivals.

The Ryans and Keanes have been embroiled in a bitter feud for the last number of years.