A LOCAL priest has called for peace after shots were discharged from one vehicle to another in a gun attack on the N20, which Gardaí suspect is linked to a feud between rival families in Cork and Limerick.
Gardaí believe a shotgun was used in the drive-by shooting, which occurred between Charleville and O’Rourke’s Cross in County Limerick at around 7.20pm on Wednesday August 28.
Sources say the shooting is the latest violent attack in a feud.
Speaking directly to those involved in the violent feud, Canon Donal O’Mahony, Charleville parish priest, urged them to “turn back to the Lord, first of all, and try to find a way forward from that, that will be peaceful and respectful of others.”
Asked if he was concerned about the latest wave of violence, Fr O’Mahony lamented that “violence begets violence, and that’s always a worry really; that can escalate if people are not careful”.
In an earlier attack linked to the feud, a young girl was left with serious head injuries after masked men attacked a house in County Cork on August 19.
The attack, in which the girl was left with a bleed on the brain, followed another attack when masked men armed with machetes damaged a house in County Limerick on August 9.
A Garda spokesman said Gardaí were “investigating all the circumstances in relation to the discharge of a firearm that occurred in County Limerick”.
“Two vehicles were travelling in the direction of O’Rourke’s Cross from Charleville when a firearm was discharged from one of the vehicles in the direction of the second vehicle.”
Gardaí said they did not receive any reports of injuries following the shooting.
Sources said a “shotgun” was discharged but that the fired shots did not hit a vehicle that was targeted.
The barrel of the shotgun was observed being pointed out of a vehicle and aimed in the direction of another travelling on the N20.
Fr O’Mahony said that “in recent years, there is a great restlessness and unrest in people’s lives and I think a lot of the problems are that people have drifted away from living a religious life, and respecting life, no matter what faith they are.”
“People have drifted away from their faith and from prayer and from God, and if people don’t turn to the Lord, often at times they will turn on each other.
“If they are living religious lives, they will try and find a peaceful way forward, and that’s the way all believers should live or try to find peaceful solutions to their situations.”
Gardaí in Bruff are leading the investigation into the N20 drive-by shooting.
Appealing for witnesses, Gardaí asked for “persons travelling between Charleville and O’Rourke’s Cross, County Limerick between 7pm and 8pm on Wednesday 28th August 2024, to come forward”.
Anyone with any information, especially dashcam footage, is asked to contact Bruff Garda Station on 061 382 940, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station.
