Paramilitaries turn out for burial of Alan Ryan, who was shot dead in Dublin on Monday
Alan Ryan, a murdered member of the Real IRA, was buried in Dublin on Saturday afternoon amid a heavy armed police presence. Up to 500 people attended the funeral of the republican dissident, who was shot dead in the Irish capital last Monday. Criminal gangs linked to the drug trade are believed to have been behind the killing. Ryan had been involved in an extortion racket, kidnapping drug dealers in Dublin and forcing them to hand over ransoms in return for their freedom.
At least 100 of the mourners were wearing paramilitary-style uniforms. A man in his 40s is still in custody being questioned about the murder in the Clongriffin area of north Dublin last Monday afternoon. Meanwhile a number of known criminal leaders in the Republic's capital have fled to the Costa del Sol and other parts of Europe since the 32-year-old was gunned down.
The 32 County Sovereignty Movement – seen as the political wing of the RIRA – condemned the "cowardly murder" of their "friend, comrade and activist" who they claimed had worked tirelessly to tackle the scourge of drugs.
Ryan was known as a racketeer who extorted cash from drug dealers and businessmen across the city and demanded protection money from firms. He was jailed for taking part in an RIRA weapons training camp in Meath in 2001 and served time for possession of a firearm in a separate incident.