The congregation at the funeral yesterday of well-known drug dealer Martin "Marlo" Hyland was told that those who use violence against others will themselves "die twice." Fr Gregory O'Brien told mourners at the church of Christ the King, in Cabra, Dublin, that the violence of recent weeks in the capital would not be solved by legislation.
"Laws can only make people conform, they cannot make people good," he said.
Those who ridiculed religion and urged others to turn away from it were in part responsible for the creation of an atmosphere in Dublin where violence now flourishes.
"Violence is offensive to God and the weight of the world's sin is contained in violence. The person who uses violence dies twice. He dies a physical death, but he also dies a long time before he dies a physical death.
"A person that uses violence dies inside, because once you use violence against a person you lose respect for every person. How can you have any respect for any human being if you are violent? Violence destroys the life of your souls."
He told the congregation of about 400 that they should pray for the repose of the soul of the deceased but also for a return to peace in the city.
Hyland (39), a father of four, was shot dead in his niece's house at Scribblestown Park, Finglas, last Tuesday morning. An innocent bystander, apprentice plumber Anthony Campbell (20), was shot dead in the same attack because he was a potential eyewitness.
Hyland was the leader of the biggest organised crime gang in Dublin. Many members of the gang were at his funeral Mass in Cabra yesterday and attended his funeral in Glasnevin cemetery.
Also among the mourners was Patrick "Dutchy" Holland, a former member of the John Gilligan gang who was named by a garda in court as the man suspected of shooting dead the journalist Veronica Guerin.
Finglas brothers Alan and Wayne Bradley were also in the congregation. This year they lost a libel action against the Star on Sunday.
The brothers said the newspaper alleged they had made €4 million out of the proceeds of cash-in-transit robberies, gun crime and money-laundering.
Det Insp Brian Sherry of Blanchardstown Garda station gave evidence that they were involved in the "wholesale distribution of heavy-duty drugs".
A cameraman working for RTÉ was knocked to the ground as he was filming the funeral leaving the grounds of the church. A transit van parked on the pavement reversed into him from behind, knocking him and his camera to the ground.
Detectives sitting in unmarked cars nearby moved in and interviewed the driver of the vehicle.
Many of the mourners had walked out of the church car park towards the photographers in an effort to block their view of the hearse and funeral. Some had also moved their cars into position to block the photographers.
When the cameraman was knocked to the ground a loud cheer could be heard coming from a section of the crowd. However, with a large Garda presence on the streets outside the church, the funeral cars left for Glasnevin cemetery and the crowd dispersed without further incident.