Dublin gangland slaying of Christopher Barry

24-year-old man was shot in Byrne's Bookmaker's on Killester Avenue in Donneycarney. Witnesses said a man on a motorbike pulled up and went inside the bookmakers just before 3pm. They described hearing a number of shots, possibly up to five. Gardaí said the gunman fled the scene on the motorbike, which was later found burnt out nearby. The victim's body is still at the scene of the shooting and the area has been sealed off. Gardaí have appealed for any witnesses to the shooting to contact them.Two men have been arrested at Tallaght South Dublin in connection with the shooting and a van has been seized by gardai and will undergo detailed examination. The victim is believed to have been known to Gardaí and had been a subject of the Operation Anvil investigation into serious crime. Deputy State Pathologist, Dr Michael Curtis, has arrived at the scene to carry out a preliminary examination. The scene has been sealed off and Gardaí have appealed for witnesses to contact them. A Garda spokeswoman said the 24-year-old man was killed in Byrne's Bookmakers on Killester Avenue shortly after 3.00pm. The dead man has been named locally as Christopher Barry. He is believed to be from the Killester area.
It is understood a gunman walked into the shop beside the Ramble Inn and singled out his victim before shooting him at least once in the head. The attacker then made off on a motorbike. The area has been sealed off and uniformed gardaí are on the scene interviewing locals. The Garda Technical Bureau has arrived to carry out a technical examination. Mr Barry's body remains at the scene. A number of floral wreaths have been left outside the bookmakers. A burnt-out motorbike, believed to have been used by the gunman in the getaway, was found abandoned just off La Vista Avenue, a few streets from the where the killing took place. It was the second gun murder in the area in six months. Anthony Russell was shot dead in Artane's Ardlea Inn in April. The killing was linked to a feud between drug dealing and crime gangs in the north inner city. Fine Gael’s justice spokesman Charlie Flanagan today called on the Government to ensure Garda resources are not affected by cutbacks in the forthcoming Budget. “Indiscriminate gangland attacks have become a regular feature of Irish weekends at a time when the Government is preparing a series of cost-cutting measures,” he said. “Unless the Garda budget is secured, the cutbacks will have an effect on key measures aimed at tackling gangland.
“The Government’s main objective must be to end the spiral of gangland killings and put those responsible behind bars.”