Two Men Killed In Separate Shooting Incidents

Two men have died in shootings in Dublin and Laois, in attacks described as “barbaric” by minister for justice Alan Shatter.

Both men were gunned down in front of children in the incidents on Monday.

27-year-old Gerard Eglington, originally from Dublin, was shot several times in front of his two children, an infant and an 11-year-old girl, in Portarlington Co. Loais around 08:30.

And 32-year-old Declan O'Reilly was shot dead as he was walking home with his young son in Dublin last night.

Mr Shatter said the killings showed that the gunmen had absolutely no respect for human life.

Adding that the callousness of the perpetrators showed that they lacked even a shred of humanity or decency.

Eglington was known to gardaí and had previously served time in prison for his role in a 2002 car crash in which two members of An Garda Síochána died.

Mr O'Reilly survived a previous attempt on his life just over a year ago when he was shot at least three times in the chest and arm in a laneway near a school off Harold's Cross Road.

He had been aware that his life was in danger. In 2007, he stabbed and killed drug dealer Derek Glennon in prison.

Fianna Fáil has called on the Justice Committee of the Oireachtas to hold a special hearing on recent killings.

(H)