The gang members in Dublin have as many vendettas hanging over them from any which way you can think of than it really can be said power to match the IRA. And that is what they are now referring to themselves as once again. These gangs don't really get on and are more looking to resist to consolidate their own power than to challenge the authority of the IRA.

Some may have a united interest in protecting their own piece of the action but they don't have the capabilities or manpower on a national level to match the IRA. To the IRA Dublin is just another front for the war they're fighting on their own territory. A convenient one based on funds and location.

They're also still in the middle of an armed campaign which has recently been targeting jail guards and nearly blew up a guard outside his house just last week. It's not as if Dublin is the last of the Alamo for these guys. The bigger threat to the IRA is the law and the kinds of infiltration like the one that stopped their arms smuggling operation for a mainland campaign overseas in the England that was nipped in the bud in Lithuania:- http://www.independent.ie/breaking-news/...ng-2913634.html

There are so many undercover agents that any move they make can only be entrusted with very high operatives and when they do plan anything overseas that inevitably means risking compromising more high level members and with London one of the global banking sectors of the world there is no expense spared to cut down these kinds of operations. That the IRA are still highly active on the border, control the fuel pipeline which has made many millionaires ten, twenty times over as well as engaging in a bitter campaign targeting soldiers, cops and gangsters on all fronts tells me there is someway left to go before the IRA can be said to be losing their power to any one gang. Some are so powerful that being suspected in major bombing campaigns on high profile targets hasn't stopped them keeping the grip on their own little Empire. As I said South Armagh is where it's at:-
http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analys...ry-1503201.html


There is no threat to the IRA on a national level, the Dublin crews have international connections and are powerful in their own right and they are also in with the Russians now even if they gots to make sure they don't act like a bunch of crazy drunken micks and go busting up some RUssian don's nearest an dearest or someting cos thats liable to get you popped:-
http://www.russiablog.org/2008/02/russians_kill_dublin_drugs_lor.php

These gangs are tough especially on their own turf but the IRA have been through much worse than this. They have hardened veterans at their disposal who have had friends die on hunger strike and have spent years in the can doing hard time with no prospect of release.

It is fair to say that the IRA are not the power they were in the 80's especially since the peace process an dthe split but there is still only one or two ways this thing could go.

1) The IRA maintain their dominance in Dublin (or as much as can be expected in such a volatile city)

or

2) The Dublin crews will consolidate their turf.

Either way the IRA will always maintain a presence in the city and they wouldn't be going for dominance if they really didn't think it was up for grabs.

The IRA like to push people around and they don't really negotiate. As far as Dublin goes, this isn't really new the Dublin crews have always been a pain in the butt for the IRA and the IRA an even bigger pain in the butt to them.

This thing has yet to play out but the hit on Alan Ryan came because the IRA were stepping up their campaign to control Dublin not because they were retreating into their shells. These guys ain't averse to danger they live with it day in, day out and sometimes when you back somebody into a corner then what choice do they really have but to hit back?