Gardaí investigating the death of a man in a hit-and-run in north Co Dublin believe it is linked to a feud between two rival factions and that he was deliberately targeted.
While the Garda has described the death of the victim, in Balbriggan, as a hit-and-run, it is being treated as a targeted attack and a feud-related homicide.
After the victim was fatally struck on Railway Street at about 9pm on Monday, a second incident occurred, with the driver of one vehicle ramming another car and causing significant damage.
Those two incidents were then followed by an on-street fight between two groups, some of whom appeared to be armed with weapons.
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Garda sources said the chain of events represented a major public order incident and has led to fears that tensions between rival groups in the area will lead to further violence.
The man who died is believed to be a member of a family, from the Roma community, who have settled in Balbriggan after coming to Ireland years ago.
The victim died where he was struck, on Railway Street, while the later ramming incident, during which the occupants of a BMW were targeted, occurred on Drogheda Road, close to Balbriggan Garda station.
A major Garda operation was put in place on Monday evening in a bid to seal off several crime scenes and gather evidence related to the fatal hit and run and from the other vehicles that crashed in the area.
A team of gardaí, including those with public order unit training, also took up position in the town to deter any further violence.
The Irish Times understands that other than the man who was killed, there were no other serious injuries.
However, though no injured parties presented to hospital for treatment, sources said the full extent of any injuries sustained during the violence may take time to become clear.
There are concerns about the security situation in Balbriggan related to the two feuding factions as Monday night’s violence was effectively the culmination of growing tensions between the rival groups.
In a statement on Tuesday morning, Garda Headquarters said emergency services were called to a scene on Railway Street in the town at about 9pm after “a pedestrian was struck by a car”.
“The vehicle involved failed to remain at the scene. The pedestrian, a man in his 20s, received emergency treatment but was pronounced deceased at the scene a short time later,” the statement added.
The area was sealed off through the night and a crime scene cordon remained in place on Tuesday morning pending examination by Garda Forensic Collision Investigators, with local traffic diversions in place.
Gardaí have appealed for witnesses to come forward, including any motorists who were in the area at the time and recording dashcam footage to make it available to investigating gardaí at Balbriggan station.
Gardaí were also gathering CCTV footage recorded in the general area and, as the fatal incident occurred during daylight hours, it was expected to prove valuable to the investigation.
Local gardaí also had intelligence on many of those involved in the feud, which detectives are hopeful will aid the inquiry into Monday night’s serious disturbances and result in criminal charges relating to the ramming incident and the street clashes.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Balbriggan Garda station on 01 666 4500, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station.
