A CLOSE pal of slain mob boss Alan Ryan has been blasted by the Real IRA in a punishment shooting over money. The terror group’s leader in Cork — nicknamed ‘The Beast’ — was shot in the leg on Thursday night. He was later brought to hospital but refused to make a complaint to gardai. The shooting comes after he was warned by detectives last month that renegades were plotting to kill him. The terror chief — originally from Dublin — was targeted by the New IRA faction after they launched a bloody purge on Ryan’s old cronies. He was placed at the top of their hitlist after he was accused of keeping cash from the proceeds of profitable extortion rackets. A source said: “The threat against him is very severe and he’s rarely spotted in public these days. “He was very close to Ryan and the pair often held meetings in Cork to plot extortion rackets from drug dealers.” And it would appear the Cork-based kingpin may have organised to undergo some friendly fire so he can get back onside with the new terror regime. The source explained: “The Beast probably arranged to be shot by one of his associates as a punishment for keeping cash to himself. “This man is nothing but a criminal and would have no intention of making a complaint to the Gardai. “He’s desperate to get in the good books again and rejoin the ranks — and he’s very lucky he didn’t get a bullet in the head.” The latest threat comes after the Irish Sun revealed a new terror alliance had threatened to shoot Ryan’s cohorts in the ankles, knees and elbows because of their failure to obey orders. Since he was warned of the threat, The Beast has been keeping a low profile in the country’s second largest city. He was a major target for the Gardai’s elite Armed Support Unit and was regularly stopped and searched when he was out for his daily walks. The heavily armed officers also staged checkpoints close to his home in a bid to disrupt dissident republican activity in the southern city.
