THE YOUNG GUN'S1. ~The Fresh Blood Fill's Void In Limerick's Underworld~Ten years of brutal gangland feuding came to a sudden stop when gardai finally got to grips with with limerick's drug gang's.
Thats the popular myth, anyway.
In reality,the gangsters havent gone,they are rebuilding their lucrative business,which like everything else,crashed when the economy came to a sudden halt in 2008.
They are better organised and more sophisticated than ever,learning from the mistakes they made in the past.
In a city were 22 people have died in a gang-related killing since 2000,the drug trade is still a big cash cow,even if its not as big as it used to be.
Many of the notorious names are now dead,like 'Philip Collopy' and others like 'Wayne Dundon' and 'John Fat McCarthy',are now in jail.
But others like 'Paul Crawford' and 'Larry McCarthy Jr' who have claimed to turn their backs on the underworld.
When the steady flow of cash from the weekend sales of cocaine dried up,it left many gangsters with no easy way to make money.
The 'Dundon Brothers' forged a reputation based on their unwavering brutality,but it was also built on money,but when it ran out so did,their so called loyal sidekicks.
2. ~Enemies~Now the dundon brothers are all behind bars,thanks partly to evidence given by people who once would have counted as stalwart gang members.
In a pattern that has been repeated across the country,powerful strains of cannabis have taken over from cocaine as the leisure drug of choice.
In limerick,the cannabis trade is controlled by 'The Keanes'.
Even more gangsters who are part of the rival 'McCarthy Gang' are now supplied by their sworn emenies.
"Its gone full circle,ten years ago 'Christy Keane' was the head honcho and now he is back again" a source told the sunday world.
Last years the crime bosses nephew 'Joe Keane' was released from prison,along with cousin 'Richard Treacy',after serving six years for the manslaughter of 'Darren Coughlan' in 2005.
'Joe Keane' has wasted little time getting the name of top mobster in a city that has shortage of willing drug-dealers.
"The two nephews are determined to build up the family business,they do smoke,drink or use drugs" a source has told us.
They are both very smart and have sworn never to end back up in jail.
A son of 'Kieran Keane',joe infamously wrote a letter as a teenager promising to kill the people responisable for his fathers murder.
"People who setup and killed my father will be dead,by the time im 32,now i am 14,thats a promise boys".
The blood feud could erupt again at any moment and associates are always careful not to stray into rival territory.
They are careful to keep drug stashes at arms length,using carefully chosen 'Dead-Drops' to supply dealers.
'Christy Keane' is now based in spain,from where he is now directing the familys cannabis business.
He was serving a 10-year jail sentence as limericks gang war reached its murderous heights,claiming 22 lives.
Keane was released in 2009 but even behind bars he hatched a steady stragedy to keep his network ahead of his rivals.
Being in jail while the feud raged on probably kept him alive,it effectively left him the last man standing.
Another player who played a huge role in the citys infamous drug role was 'Jim Chaser O'Brien' who now is also back in business.
He was aligned to the 'McCarthy - Dundon Faction',but fled the country fearing he would be arrested following the murder of 'Kieran Keane' in late 2003.
O'Brien Stayed out of the the inter-gang feud and avoided a serious jail term,despite being caught with a huge drugs shipment in belgium.
A huge shipment of drug worth EST. 1-Million was seized by gardai in april 2011,is believed by gardai to be O'Brien's.
The former club and pub owner was released from prison in belgium nearly four years ago,where he was charged with another huge drugs shipment.
"Unlike the violent street gangsters 'Chaser' has his foreign contacts and business skills".
3. ~Supply & Demand~The 'Keanes & O'Brien' have links with established dublin based drug-dealers and in turn supply dealers in limerick and sligo,galway and cork.
Although many of limericks infamous gangsters are out of the picture,there are enough key players,still active to ensure further battles for control of gangland in 2013.
