Gardaí carry out search at Limerick Prison as part of crackdown on ongoing feud

David Raleigh

Gardaí have conducted a search inside Limerick Prison as part of investigations into the activities of criminals in the city.

The search in the prison was conducted on Thursday night after gardaí successfully applied before Limerick District Court for a warrant to carry out a search operation at the prison.

When asked for details, a Garda spokesperson confirmed that “gardaí carried out a search under warrant in Limerick Prison” and that “no further information is available at this time”.

The search is understood to be part of a Garda crackdown into the activities of two rival groups involved in an ongoing feud on the south side of Limerick City.

When asked for comment, a spokesperson for the Irish Prison Service said it “does not comment on operational or security matters”.

Gardaí were investigating whether a gun attack, which occurred at a house in the vicinity of Hyde Road, on Friday morning, was connected to the ongoing feud in that area.

A number of shots were discharged from a firearm at the residence, around 1am.

Up to a dozen tit-for-tat violent incidents, including pipe bomb attacks and arson attacks, have occurred in the Hyde Road/Ballinacurra Weston and Southill areas since October 12th due to tensions rising between the two groups.

The armed Garda Emergency Response Unit (ERU) has been drafted into the city and is conducting nightly armed checkpoints in flash-point areas to try to prevent further attacks.

The ERU was deployed to Limerick to assist local armed units and uniformed members that are involved in a policing operation set up by head of the Limerick Garda Division, chief superintendent Derek Smart, to target the activities of those involved in the feud.

The feud has been bubbling up over the last year with several shootings and other violence leading to a number of people being injured and others brought before the courts.

On Friday, a Garda spokeswoman said gardaí were “investigating all the circumstances in relation to the discharge of a firearm that occurred on Hyde Road, Limerick city at approximately 1am, Friday November 8th, 2024”.

“No injuries have been reported at this time, and investigations are ongoing,” they added.

Gardai asked that anyone with information about the shooting to contact Roxboro Road Garda Station on 061-214340 or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda station.

On October 24th, Chief Supt Derek Smart warned of Garda fears that children would be injured in the rising violence as a number of children had already been in the vicinity of a number of violent attacks.

He said that “since the 12th of October, a number of cars have been targeted and set on fire and a number of houses and very badly damaged as a result of the attacks upon them”.

“These attacks are confined between two groupings of peoples, they are both know to each other, and they both live on the south side of Limerick City.”

“They are not random attacks, they are very targeted in what they are trying to achieve.”