Long history of bloodshed leads to Costa ambush and Gangland murder

Patrick Doyle (27) was shot as he tried to escape in a luxury BMW 4X4 which had come under fire on the outskirts of Estepona, about 10 miles from Marbella.
Injured in the incident was another convicted Dublin criminal, Gary Hutch, while Freddie Thompson, who was recently acquitted of drugs and firearms charges in the Netherlands, escaped unhurt.
The three men were travelling in a BMW 4x4 in the Cancelada district when another BMW 4x4 fired on them.
Four shots were pumped into the front windscreen and another into the front passenger door, before the driver, Gary Hutch, lost control of the vehicle.
The BMW hit a lamp post and Doyle, who was a front-seat passenger, attempted to run away.
The occupants of the 4x4, however, began firing again and the Irishman was struck twice in the head.
The attack took place at the Bel-Air apartment complex, and eyewitnesses said the gunmen made their escape in another BMW 4x4.
Freddie Thompson (27), who was in the back seat of the car yesterday and escaped injury, was arrested in the Netherlands in 2006, when police swooped and found seven kilos of cocaine and six handguns in his rented apartment. The motives appear to be a retaliation shooting which appears to be linked to the gang wars in Ireland.
Martin "Viper" Foley who remains in hospital in a critical condition after being shot in Kimmage Dublin. Has survived 6 previous assassation attempts. Linked with both gangs but mentioned as a sympathiser towards the Gavin/Thompson gang(Sunday World, Ireland on Sunday, Sunday Independent). However, Star Sunday claims he has influence over both gangs yet does not claim allegiance to either side due to fear ofgetting caught in the crossfire. "Fat" Freddie Thompson (24): According to the Sunday World, "Fat" Freddie is the leader of the gang who shot deadNoel Roche in Clontarf on Tuesday, 15 November. Thompson was once part of the same gang as Brian Rattigan (leaderof the rivals in the ongoing feud). Garda sources say he is their prime suspect in at least a dozen shooting incidentsacross the city. Declan Gavin (20): First victim of the feud and one-time leader of the gang. Escaped raid in Holiday Inn drugs seizurethat initiated allegations that he was an informant (Sunday Independent). Stabbed to death in Crumlin, 2001. Darren Geoghegan (26): Suspected murderer of Rattigan gang-member John Roche in March of this year. Shot dead on13 November by IRA hit men supposedly hired by Rattigan's gang (Sunday World) Gavin Byrne( 30): Shot dead with Geoghegan in the same car that was parked in Firhouse. Rattigan Gang: Brian Rattigan (25): Leader of Rattigan gang although currently serving six (ten, according to Sunday World) year prisonsentence for various crimes including drugs and gun charges. Was also charged with the murder of Declan Gavin.Controls his gang via mobile phones and messengers. Narrowly escaped a murder attempt (suspected to have beencarried out by the Thompson/Gavin gang) although had spleen removed and lost a kidney three years ago (SundayWorld). Joseph Rattigan (18) : Brother of Brian. Shot dead in July, 2002 (Ireland on Sunday, Sunday World). John Roche (24) : Major drug dealer wanted by gardaí for attempted murder (Ireland on Sunday). Shot dead inKilmainham, the murderer is suspected to have been Darren Geoghegan (Ireland on Sunday, Sunday World). Noel Roche (27): Chief enforcer of Rattigan's gang who was shot dead in Clontarf on 15 November as part of revenge forthe double murder of Darren Geoghegan and Gavin Byrne (Ireland on Sunday). Eddie Rice (32): Escaped a murder attempt when in the same car as Noel Roche the night he was killed. Turned himselfin but was released without giving any evidence to gardaí.1998: Feud begins. Declan Gavin, then an 18 year old who was already involved with petty crime and was making hismark on drug-trafficking, had his bike burned and his family car covered in paint by Derek Lodge. Suddenly two seperateVillage - Politics, Media and Current Affairs in Irelandhttp://www.village.iePowered by Joomla!Generated: 7 December, 2007, 02:47
gang factions emerged, one led by Declan Gavin, another led by Joseph Rattigan, who was 16 years old at the time(Sunday Independent). Both gangs began to deal cocaine and their main associate was Martin "Viper" Foley and therewas relatively no animosity between them (Sunday World). 3 March, 2000: The event that led to the complete breakdown between the two factions: the Sunday Independentreported that Gavin and one gang member locked themselves into a room at the Holiday Inn hotel on Pearse street inorder to "cut" cocaine (breaking down cocaine into powder and then mixed with glucose in order to distribute more todealers). Gardaí heard of this deal and completed a successful raid on the premises, finding only a 17 year old in theroom. Gavin soon emerged on the corridor and was promptly arrested. This led to allegations that Gavin was aninformant for the gardaí (he had escaped conviction on a previously successful raid). 25 August, 2001: Declan Gavin is murdered (stabbed) outside a restaurant on Crumlin Road. 17 March, 2002: Brian Rattigan is critically injured when shot a number of times in his home. He loses a kidney and hisspleen as a result of the attack. A woman in the house allegedly saw "Fat" Freddie Thompson commit the attack but laterdenies this to gardaí (Sunday World). 16 July, 2002: 18 year old Joseph Rattigan shot dead by the Gavin/Thompson faction (Sunday World) around the sametime his brother Brian was being released from hospital. May, 2002: An associate of Brian Rattigan, Colm Smith is shot through the cheek and tongue after he answers the doorat 3.30 am. Smith survived the attack but refused to talk to gardaí (Sunday World). 2002: "Fat" Freddie Thompson is jailed and serves a sentence for road traffic offences (after being charged with thoseoffences and giving gardaí a false name, aiding the escape of another man from lawful custody), according to the SundayWorld. 25 January, 2004: Paul Warren shot dead in Grey's Pub by two men of the Rattigan faction. Subsequently, BrianRattigan is jailed for a total of ten years for drugs, firearms and violence offences. He is currently serving a four-yearstretch for being in possession of €40,000 worth of heroin. Last year, he received another six years for aiming aloaded shotgun at a Garda during a chase. He continues to control his gang from inside Portlaoise prison with the aid ofmobile phones and messengers (Sunday World). 9 March, 2005: John Roche, one of Rattigan's men and a major drug dealer, is shot dead outside his apartment inKilmainham, reportedly by Darren Geoghegan (Ireland on Sunday). 13 November, 2005: Darren Geoghegan and Gavin Byrne, leading members of the Thompson/Gavin faction aremurdered by suspected hit-men reportedly hired by Rattigan's gang (Ireland on Sunday). 15 November, 2005: Seen by many as a revenge attack (Sunday World, Sunday Independent), Noel Roche (olderbrother of John Roche), Brian Rattigan's "chief enforcer" (Ireland on Sunday) is shot dead in Clontarf. His fellow gangmember, Eddie Rice, escapes but refuses to tell the Gardaí anything about the killers.
There are two gangs: the Crumlin lot (the Gavin/Thompson gang, who may or may not be under the wing of old-hand Martin "Viper" Foley) versus the Rattigans of Drimnagh. These are the young, thrusting newcomers, making their mark where once self-effacing Martin "The General" Cahill (cleaned up by the IRA, 1994, but pictured, left) ruled the roost. The cause of this feud seems to go back to 1998, when Declan Gavin was serving an apprenticeship in small-time crime and drug-trafficking. He had his bike and the family car vandalized, thus causing a rupture with the Rattigans.

Trouble flared in 2001 with the first murder. Declan Gavin had been head of the Crumlin boys. Gavin and a mate were "cutting" a consignment of cocaine in the Holiday Inn, Pearse Street, when the Gardaí raided. Gavin had been caught in a previous raid; and was now suspect of grassing. He was taken out in a stabbing (August 2001). That one is still going through the courts.
Brian Rattigan (St Patrick's Day, 2002) was badly shot up at his home. A witness (who later recanted) identified "Fat Freddie" Thompson as the gun-man. There was a further gun attack on a Rattigan affiliate, Colm Smith, in May 2002: Smith then refused to talk to the Gardaí. "Fat Freddie" was now in jug (driving offences!, but also for giving a false name and aiding the escape of an arrestee).
To celebrate Brian Rattigan's release from hospital (July 2002), Doyle of the Gavin/Thompson gang shot Joe Rattigan of the Drimnagh mob.
On 25 January 2004, in the toilet of Gray's pub, Paul Warren of the Crumlin team was shot by two of the Rattigans, a further revenge murder. Brian Rattigan went inside at Portlaoise for drugs and firearms (10 years) and heroin possession (4 years). Apparently, through mobile phones and runners, he still controls his gang.
The next to go (March 2005) was John Roche, a Rattigan dealer. He was shot, allegedly by Darren Geoghegan, one of four of the same team that shot Joe Rattigan.
14 April 2005, Terence Dunleavy, a dealer, shot in the head. The motorbike used by the killer belonged to a relative of "Fat Freddie", so this was another Thompson execution.
Then, two for one, Darren Geoghegan and Gavin Byrne were executed, perhaps by their own Crumlin side, but more likely as a reprisal, even on a contract basis.
Doyle struck again, 13 November 2005, shooting John Roche's elder brother, Noël, who has been identified as the Rattigan enforcer.
Late summer, 2006, and two more in quick succession: Wayne Zambra (assumed to be part of the team that killed Paul Warren) buys it: again, this is likely to be an internal job; and Gary Bryan, who was the gunman in the Paul Warren murder, was released from gaol and promptly dealt with in a drive-by killing.
Then Eddie McCabe, last December, who had been in on the Zambra murder, was (for a change) beaten to death. He may have been stabbed through the eye.
Now Doyle himself.