This article is from page 6 of the 2012-09-04 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 6 JPG
A FULL-SCALE murder investigation began in Clare last evening (Monday) following the death of a man shot during a wedding celebration.
The victim, named locally as Robert Sheehan of Pineview Gardens, Moyross, Limerick, received numerous shots to the head and body while he stood outside the Bunratty Castle Hotel on Sunday morning last. He died last evening at the Mid Western Regional Hospital, Limerick.
The 21-year-old was attending a family wedding in the County Clare hotel, and had left briefly for a cigarette break.
At approximately 3.40am, at least one gunman approached him and shot him a number of times. The culprit was then driven away in a dark saloon-type car.
Gardaí have confirmed that they are examining a “short type fire arm” found near the scene.
It is understood that detectives are following a number of lines of enquiry, including a link to a large row in Moyross in July during which two men were stabbed.
Two men in their 20s were arrested in Cork on Sunday morning in connection with the Bunratty incident.
They are currently being held in Ennis and Shannon Garda Stations under Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act, 2007.
Gardaí have appealed to anyone who may have seen a dark saloon- type car in the Bunratty area during the early hours of Sunday morning or who may have any information relating to the incident to contact them at Shannon Garda Station.
The late Mr Sheehan had come into contact with Gardaí previously.
He was sentenced to two years detention in October 2007, after he pleaded guilty to recklessly endangering the lives of Gavin and Milly Murray. He admitted acting as a look-out as two other men petrol bombed a car in which the four and six-year-old were sitting.