A MAN was shot dead outside a pub in Dublin last night. The victim in his early 40s was killed at the Drake Inn on Main Street in Finglas, west Dublin.
He was standing in the doorway of the pub when a car pulled up outside shortly after 8.30pm.
A gunman got out of the car and shot the man in the head.
When he was shot in the head a second time he fell back into the hallway of the pub. The gunman then got into a car, which drove away.
Detectives have sealed off the area for a technical examination.
The man has been named locally as David Thomas.
Nine years ago the Dubliner was found guilty of assaulting two gardaí and of possessing firearms and ammunition with intent to endanger life or cause serious injury.
He was cleared of murdering another man during a Finglas pub row by a jury at the Central Criminal Court. Thomas was given concurrent suspended sentences of nine and four years.
Thomas, of Cloonlara Crescent, Finglas, denied all the charges, and was cleared of the murder of Eamon O’Reilly (23), of Sandyhill Gardens, Ballymun, on January 11th, 1998.
The court heard a fight broke out between the families in a pub that day, which culminated in the shooting dead of Mr O’Reilly.
Thomas arrived at the bar and saw his mother being struck with a pool cue by Mr O’Reilly. Thomas then discharged his shotgun and Mr O’Reilly later died from his injuries.
Two gardaí were shot in a raid on a flat where Thomas and members of his family were hiding out following the death.
On January 15th, 1998, armed gardaí and members of the Emergency Response Unit stormed the flat. The two gardaí were shot and wounded in the raid. Gardaí fired no shots. Thomas said he thought the gardaí at the door were the O’Reilly faction.