THE DISCOVERY of two hoax explosive devices is being linked to a dispute between criminals and members of a republican movement that has cost two lives.
The devices were discovered outside a house and shop in west Dublin late on Monday night.
Gardaí believe they were left to scare the families of two men involved in the feud, which began with the shooting dead of Wayne Doherty (32) in Hartstown, west Dublin, in July 2009.
They were found outside a Parlickstown shop and a house in Hartstown at about 11.30pm on Monday after a call to gardaí.
The Army’s bomb disposal unit was called in and local residents were evacuated.
The devices, comprising piping and wires, were found to be hoaxes and the area was declared safe before 3am.
Gardaí believe the devices are the latest in a series of incidents linked to the feud that began with the killing of Mr Doherty, a father of two. He was shot dead when he confronted a number of men in a car at Oakview Way, Hartstown.
Mr Doherty approached the men as he believed they would attack the home of a neighbour of his as part of a personalised row linked to a fight in a pub that evening. One of the car’s occupants opened fire with a shotgun, fatally wounding Mr Doherty.
Republican associates of Mr Doherty’s began threatening the men they believe killed him.
Last October, Jason Egan (23) was shot dead as he was closing his family’s shop in Parlickstown. Gardaí believe he was killed because he was an associate of one of the men suspected of involvement in Mr Doherty’s killing.
One of the devices was found at a house linked to a man involved in the feud who has left the country in fear of his life. Gardaí are looking into other incidents over the past year in which vehicles and properties were damaged.
:quality(70)/s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/irishtimes/564969e4-d81d-474d-b348-d41dfe1aeced.png)