Shane Geoghegan (28) was shot dead by members of the McCarthy-Dundon gang

Irish police believe they now know who killed rugby player Shane Geoghegan and expect to charge the suspect this weekend.Last night, officers were concentrating their inquiries on a young man who is in custody in Limerick. He was arrested earlier this week in connection with the murder. The brutal killing shocked the country and led to a major crackdown on Limerick's criminal gangs.The development follows an intensive week of investigations where 120 detectives, working in 36 teams, repeatedly interviewed 16 people (eight women and eight men). Eight individuals remained in custody in stations in Limerick and Clare last night.
Mr Geoghegan (28) was shot dead by members of the McCarthy-Dundon gang, in the early hours of November 9. The gunman mistook him for a rival member of the Collopy gang.
The prime suspect is a 23 year old from Dublin and is well known in criminal circles. He moved to Limerick and is well connected to senior members of the McCarthy-Dundon gang. He was recently arrested by gardai for transporting drugs into the city from Dublin and has appeared before the courts in connection with it.
At a recent court appearance, members of the McCarthy-Dundon gang, wearing bullet proof vests, waited outside the court buildings to transport him away.It is expected that the young man will appear in court within 24 hours in connection with the murder.Mr Geoghegan, captain of Garryowen thirds team, was walking home from a friend's house in the Kilteragh housing estate, Dooradoyle, when he encountered the gunman. He ran for his life, but was cornered in the back garden of a neighbour's home and gunned down, with one bullet striking him in the head.Limerick's most senior garda officer, Chief Supt Gerry Mahon, described the case as one of the most significant investigations to take place in the division.Investigating detectives are also attempting to bring a number of other people who, they believe, were also involved in the murder, to the courts.Fifteen of the 18 individuals arrested and questioned so far are from Limerick and some are members of the McCarthy-Dundon gang.
Another member of the notorious gang, who is also suspected to have had a major role in the murder, remains on the run in London. He fled Limerick after the shooting and a bench warrant is out for his arrest in relation to another matter.

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Limerick gangs have escalated the gang war after a series of arson attacks in which four vehicles have been destroyed.

Limerick criminal gangs have escalated after a series of arson attacks in which four vehicles have been destroyed.Just a month before Christy Keane -- a leading crime figure in the Keane gang -- is released from prison, gardai in the city are on high alert after arson attacks on vehicles belonging to four of his relatives.The 48-year-old is due to be freed from the Midlands prison in mid-February and the feud, which was just beginning when he was jailed in 2001, shows no sign of cooling on the eve of his release.Last year, chief executive of Limerick's regeneration agencies, Brendan Kenny, tried to initiate peace talks following a lull in the feud, but it is clear that old wounds continue to fester following a succession of arson attacks in St Mary's Park last weekend.On Sunday night, a 2008-registered Range Rover was found burnt out following an attack in the coal yard where it was parked. The vehicle, owned by Keane's nephew, Owen Treacy, is estimated to have been worth over €70,000
Treacy was abducted with his uncle, Kieran Keane, in 2003 by the McCarthy-Dundon gang. His uncle was shot dead while Treacy was stabbed repeatedly.Treacy's sisters' car, a Peugeot 306, has also been burned out.Also at the weekend, the 2005-registered Volkswagen Passat belonging to a family member was destroyed.Arsonists also gutted the 2004-registered Toyota Avensis belonging to a female member of the family. The damage to the vehicles is in excess of €100,000, but it is the repercussions that may be inflicted upon the culprits that worry authorities most in Limerick. As far as officers are concerned, the arson attacks are a direct message to the original crime chief of Limerick gangs that his enemies are ready and waiting for his release.Christy Keane (48), who comes out of prison a grandfather, will have to return to jail if he wants to see his only son, Liam, who was yesterday jailed for the same period his father received -- 10 years.

Liam Keane was arrested last May after driving a stolen car with a loaded Glock handgun which had been used to shoot McCarthy-Dundon gang member, Jimmy Collins less than a fortnight beforehand.

When interviewed by gardai, Liam Keane was asked why did the gangs hate each other so much and replied: "That's life, that's the way it goes."Liam Keane told officers he picked the gun up in a field, "out the Ballysimon way", and had it because of the way his uncle, Kieran Keane, ended up.Already some of Christy Keane's closest neighbours are fearing his release and have sold their homes. Fine Gael councillor Diarmuid Scully told a meeting of Limerick City Council's economic and planning committee that two homes in Lynwood Park, Singland, have been sold by residents ahead of Christy Keane's return.
Mr Scully urged the Criminal Assets Bureau to examine whether the home was bought with the proceeds of crime.On top of this, detectives in the city this week uncovered further links between some of country's most dangerous criminals and the Keane and Collopy gangs based in St Mary's Park with the arrest of a major convicted criminal from Dublin.

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Gerard Dundon, a senior member of the McCarthy-Dundon gang behind bars.

Gardai have arrested one of the main figures in one of Limerick's feuding criminal gangs on foot or a committal warrant.Gerard Dundon, a senior member of the McCarthy-Dundon gang, was being sought to serve a 10-month prison sentence for more than 30 road traffic offences.Reports this morning say he turned himself in to Gardai last night and is expected to be questioned about the murder of Shane Geoghegan last weekend.Detectives believe the McCarthy-Dundon gang was responsible for the fatal shooting of the Garryowen rugby player, who was apparently mistaken for a top drug dealer aligned to the rival Keane gang.

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