Gun gardai mingle with mourners as The Don laid to rest

Armed officers watched as mourners followed the coffin of gang boss Eamon Dunne through inner city streets.

The operation was put in place as Dunne (34) was brought to his final resting place in Dardistown Cemetery, from his home in Cabra.

Armed officers last night conducted a search of the northside church where Dunne's funeral Mass was to be held -- and the burial ground.

suspicion

A discreet armed security presence was in place in the vicinity of Aughrim Street this morning, to prevent any violence at the funeral.

A number of major criminals were planning to attend the ceremony, at 11am. Some of these are under suspicion for involvement in Dunne's death, garda sources said.

In front of press cameras and observing gardai, his funeral cortege made its way from the family home to the inner city community's Church of the Holy Family in Aughrim Street.

From there it was a final journey to Dardistown Cemetery beside Dublin Airport.

Dunne's reputation and the manner of his death brought with it a noticeable uniform garda presence, along with their undercover counterparts.

Detectives "swept" the two locations, the church and the cemetery, fearing a possible gun attack on mourners and mounted surveillance for several days on perceived rivals, in case a revenge shooting was planned at the funeral.

While the public, the gardai and the media saw the passing cortege as marking the end of another criminal's murderous reign, his family shared their genuine grief with friends and neighbours.

In a funeral notice Eamonn and Margaret Dunne described the slain criminal as a beloved son and "a cherished grandson" of nanny Rosie and "adored" brother of Ellis, David, Suzanne and Lynne.

Dunne was shot dead as he drank at a 40th birthday party in the Faussagh House pub in Cabra 10 days ago. A four-man hit team carried out the murder.

Lucrative

Dunne had been linked to more than a dozen gangland murders, none more horrific than that of apprentice plumber Anthony Campbell.

The innocent man was shot dead because he was a witness to the gunning down of another gang boss, Marlo Hyland.

The Don was blamed for setting this up in order to take over the Finglas gang's lucrative operations.

Anthony Campbell's mother Christine, still grieving her only boy, said in the wake of Dunne's murder: "He'll be drinking with the devil tonight."

Dunne's slaying is the 195th gun murder since 1998.

hnews@herald.ie