The attack at the Regency Hotel on the Swords Road in Drumcondra resulted in one fatality; 33-year old David Byrne. Two others remain injured.
In a statement to the BBC today, a man claiming to speak on behalf of the leadership of the Continuity IRA said its members were responsible and that it was retaliation for Byrne’s involvement in the killing of Alan Byrne, a member of the Real IRA who was shot dead in 2012.
He claimed responsibility for the attack saying:
“Although not a member of our organisation, we are not going to stand back and allow drug dealers and criminals to target republicans.”
“This will not be an isolated incident,” he added.
“Continuity IRA units have been authorised to carry out further operations. More drug dealers and criminals will be targeted.
“The Continuity IRA will carry out further military operations.”
Gardai have set up armed checkpoints in Dublin over fears of a potential retaliation for the attack, while earlier today, Taoiseach Enda Kenny called on Sinn Féin’s Gerry Adams to comment on reports that the AK 47s used in the attack may be part of the Provisional IRA cargo.
UPDATE: Gerry Adams responded saying that the Continuity IRA are not the IRA. The IRA are no longer in existence and all their weapons have been removed.
Gerry Adams calls for Regency Hotel assailants to be brought to justicehttps://t.co/nlVFRUY8fl
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) February 8, 2016
