Three held over Dublin gangland murder

Two men and a woman have been arrested in connection with the death of Richard McCormack in Dublin earlier this year.

Two men and a woman have been arrested in connection with the death of Richard McCormack in Dublin earlier this year.

Mr McCormack (29) from Ronanstown, west Dublin, was shot outside his brother's house on St Ronan's Drive, Ronanstown, not far from his own home on St Ronan's Close on March 8th.

The gunman approached him outside the house and fired a number of shots into Mr McCormack's upper body before fleeing the scene on foot .

Mr McCormack is believed to have been a member of a west Dublin crime gang which has been engaged in serious gun crime and drug dealing. Gardaí suspect he was involved in the shooting dead of criminal Robbie O'Hanlon.

The 25-year-old was shot three times in the head as he walked off a football field in Clondalkin in March 2007.

Gardaí believe Mr McCormack may have been killed in a revenge attack for the O'Hanlon murder.

Reliable sources also believe that Mr McCormack was a suspect in the shooting dead of young drug dealer Simon Doyle, who was killed in December 2001 at his home in St Mark's Avenue, Clondalkin.

Mr McCormack had a small number of convictions for minor matters such as public order and drink driving. However, he was known to gardaí as a significant player in the drugs trade and was being investigated by the Criminal Assets Bureau.

Gardaí in Ronanstown arrested two men, aged 34 and 21,  and one woman (32) early this morning under Section 30 Offences Against the State Act. They are being held in Lucan, Ronanstown and Clondalkin Garda Stations respectively.