The family of slain Real IRA kingpin Alan Ryan are being targeted by criminals who are confident that the terror group is powerless to strike back, the Sunday World has learned.
A car belonging to an innocent family member was parked in the driveway of the family home at Grange Abbey Drive in Donaghmede, on Dublin’s northside, last week when it was set alight during the night.
It was completely torched and gardai are treating the incident as arson. They say there are several possible suspects who could have been behind it.
It is understood that over the last few months the family home has been attacked on several occasions and that windows have been smashed.
There is CCTV all around the house and whoever was behind the spate of incidents knew this because they made sure to cover their faces.
Sources say that the gang, led by a criminal from Clontarf, who was responsible for shooting Alan Ryan dead in September 2012, could have been behind the attacks, but there are a number of theories.
Another is that low-level thugs from the local area were responsible because they were sick of the way Alan Ryan terrorised them and extorted money from them when he was alive.
A source said: “Alan Ryan was a hard and ruthless man. He tortured lots of people and there was a lot of bad feeling towards him.
“Since his murder, the Real IRA have imploded and people believe they can have a go at the family with impunity. Had Alan been alive and his brother’s car was burnt out then somebody would have been murdered, simple as.”
