Dublin: 4 murders in 3 nights

[joeSoap]

I know I'm going to sound stupid and bitter, but I just heard an interview with some Sunday Tribune journalist on Radio 1 pontificating about how dangerous it is to walk the streets of Limerick, and that every time he has to do so, he is in fear for his life, even in broad daylight. He was also making references as to how Limerick will no longer be known as stab city, and moreso Shotgun City.

I am from Limerick City, right in the heart of one of its now 'underprivilieged' areas. I am proud to be, and always will be. I see Limerick for what it is: A city predominately populated with the finest people you could meet, with sporting history and traditions second to none. Much like all other cities and towns I have visited in the world, it has its good and bad. Limericks bad are largely related to a inter-family gang feud, and thankfully crimes such as muggings, armed robberies etc are low compared to other cities. Unfortunately mud sticks, and alas so does bad publicity. Limerick gained its dubious 'Stab City' name many years ago courtesy of Terry Keane in a Sunday Indo article. It stuck, and then stuck even more thanks to some (very funny) sketches by Dermot Morgan on Scrap Saturday.

Unfortunately every time a family feud related incident arises, it receives mass exposure, and Limerick gets ridiculed. I don't mind a light-hearted slagging and joke amongst friends about it, and I do get a lot of it up here (I've been in Dublin 15 years).

Since Sunday night, 4 people have met their deaths violently in Dublin. This sort of thing regularly happens up here. I detest it, and feel sorry for the innocent people affected by it. What I would dearly love is some impartial journalism, some accurate reporting of facts and statistics, and the truth about where in Ireland its safer to be at night. I know where I'd rather be.

[Lionel Ritchie]

Testifah!

As I don't buy tabs - I dunno if there's any "City of Fear" headlines being tossed around about Dublin.

I heard one of them had something like "It's War" on monday ...because two drug dealing chavs had been whacked by ..well ...two drug dealing chavs.

best save the "It's War" headlines for actual Wars I think.

[Drumcondra Red]

Well personally, I don't believe all this stab city crap, nor am I afraid to walk around in Dublin, but on the most part all these drug wars and gang wars or whatever tend to be amoungst themselves, so they're bound to clear each other out eventually???

[pete]

As long as no one is caught in the cross fire they can all execute themselves. the guards should just observe til they wipe each other out & when its allover can arrest a few high profile members. No use arresting anyone why the feud continues as the tax payer will have to pay for their jail time when its easier to let the other isde get revenge on them. If their own family members get caught in the cross fire thats just unfortunate too but not tragic.

[joeSoap]

You could say the same theory should apply to Padraig Nally, but he's now doing 6 years as a result of his fear of being burgled and mugged. The judge said that the law states that human life is the most sacred thing above all else, so therefore Nally had to pay for what he did. I don't agree with it, but understand why the judge had no option.

The gardai aren't able to just sit around and hope these animals all wipe each other out...even though they'd love to.

[Macy]

Think you're being over sensitive Joesoap. There's parts of dublin that get the same shít (Ballymun still suffering from past reputation, Tallaght being another example).

I think the Stab City thing sticks because Limerick people go on about far too much. For example, during the summer that artist getting grief was a prime example - no one would've heard of it bar for Limerick people campaigning to get it taken down, and it was in praise of Limerick but they were too "outraged" to get it (The one that said stab city from a distance, but when you were up close it was all the good things that Limerick has to offer).

[Lionel Ritchie]

Think you're being over sensitive Joesoap. There's parts of dublin that get the same shít (Ballymun still suffering from past reputation, Tallaght being another example).

I think the Stab City thing sticks because Limerick people go on about far too much. For example, during the summer that artist getting grief was a prime example - no one would've heard of it bar for Limerick people campaigning to get it taken down, and it was in praise of Limerick but they were too "outraged" to get it (The one that said stab city from a distance, but when you were up close it was all the good things that Limerick has to offer).

That's a fairly isolated example though Macy -the only comparable one is the previous year when an artist did a t-shirt and poster featuring a tourist amenities sign for Limerick that featured drive by shootings, handguns and executions. I thought it was very clever actually. the only sensationalist aspect to it I thought was the inclusion of dripping syringes. There is little evidence of anything like widespread or even contained but prolific heroin use in Limerick.

I think what rubs people up the wrong way here is sensationalist reportage like the "city of fear" sh1te I mentioned as well as the general lazy journalism of describing the place as "dangerous".

But we're not going to shake it because there are frankly a lot of people in the media who's job is made easier when they can grab quips, quotes and incidents from compartmentalised boxes they've created -so fcuk 'em. We'll just have to accept it and get on with it.

[anto1208]

ive been in limerick for over 25 years , ive never been mugged even ,not to mind a serious assault , i was in one fight after a club that was a case of mistaken identity , he had been fighting some one with the same jacket so i was walking up the street and got jumped from behind , but he was so pi ssed it took about 3 seconds to knock him to the ground .

generally its in house fighting between a few families but some times inecents get caught up in it , a barman was shot after refusing to serve a 14 year old girl on her first night out !! . no need to mention the family involved .

i dont like this dublin is worse excuse because i dont live in dublin i dont really care , but to say he doesnt feel safe walking the street s of limerick in broad daylight is ridiculous ,i walk around at night and feel perfectly safe , random muggings or attacks are few and far between .i cant think of one person i know that has been randomly attacked in the last 25 years !

[Dotsy]

You could say the same theory should apply to Padraig Nally, but he's now doing 6 years as a result of his fear of being burgled and mugged. The judge said that the law states that human life is the most sacred thing above all else, so therefore Nally had to pay for what he did. I don't agree with it, but understand why the judge had no option.

The gardai aren't able to just sit around and hope these animals all wipe each other out...even though they'd love to.

I agree the judge probably didn't have any option given the way the law stands now but that's why it needs to be changed. If some scumbag decides to rob my house or attack my family in our home then I should have a right to defend them with whatever force I deem is necessary at the time.

As for the three drug dealing scumbags killed this week I won't be losing a minutes sleep over it. The community is better off without them. However the gardai do need to pursue these people because they are killing innocent people every day by dealing drugs but I couldn't care less that they have lost their lives.

You are right. The stab city thing is a load of horseshiite. Limerick is no worse than Dublin.

[Lionel Ritchie]

I agree the judge probably didn't have any option given the way the law stands now but that's why it needs to be changed. If some scumbag decides to rob my house or attack my family in our home then I should have a right to defend them with whatever force I deem is necessary at the time.

As for the three drug dealing scumbags killed this week I won't be losing a minutes sleep over it. The community is better off without them. However the gardai do need to pursue these people because they are killing innocent people every day by dealing drugs but I couldn't care less that they have lost their lives.

You are right. The stab city thing is a load of horseshiite. Limerick is no worse than Dublin.

I'd probably have done the same as Nally did myself Dotsy and might've thought "well fcuk it, they can bill me later for it." BUT the experience in other jurisdictions (California and Florida) where the law has been changed to allow greater scope for people use lethal force to defend their property is that more innocent people die.

Intruders come tooled up to the eyeballs expecting to meet lethal force and are trigger happy themselves.
The laws as they stand -while being frustrating and unfair -are still better.

[Dotsy]

I take your point Lionel but I think with the greather and easier availability now of guns in this country and the penchant for every liitle scumbag to carry a knife the potential for more innocent lives to be lost is already there.

A friend of mine recently opened his curtains at 9:30pm to discover a teenager in the process of stealing his car from his driveway. Did he jump out and run, did he hell. He smiled at my mate and waved his pistol at him, took a couple of minutes more and then calmly drove off.

[sligoman]

I've moved some posts from this thread to a new thread here.