Conor Lally

3 days ago | irishtimes.com | Conor Lally

Evan Fitzgerald, who opened fire and took his own life at a Carlow shopping centre, had no pervious convictions or known involvement in serious crimes that made him a candidate for being denied bail when he was charged with firearms and explosives offences last year, Garda sources said. His bail conditions were also relaxed after a period of months because he had so closely complied with all of the conditions initially imposed on him.

3 days ago | irishtimes.com | Conor Lally

The construction of almost 1,000 new prison places is being fast-tracked, as the Republic’s overcrowding crisis worsens, under a plan Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan is to present to Cabinet on Wednesday. He believes a new arrangement, specifically for construction projects to increase capacity at several jails, agreed with Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers, will reduce the delivery timelines by between 12 and 18 months.

4 days ago | irishtimes.com | Conor Lally

The deadline for applications to become the next commissioner of An Garda Síochána has passed and the longest-serving senior members of the force are understood not to have applied for the job. None of the serving assistant commissioners who have spent their entire policing careers in the Garda have applied, sources said, with this in large part due to what they see as an onerous tax exposure on their pensions should they succeed Drew Harris and serve the full five-year term.

4 days ago | irishtimes.com | Conor Lally

Evan Fitzgerald, the 22-year-old gunman at the centre of an incident at a Carlow shopping centre on Sunday, was described by a Garda detective as having “a fascination with firearms”. Gardaí with the Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (DocB) believe Mr Fitzgerald had been illegally sourcing and using guns and ammunition over a period before he was caught last year. When arrested, he confessed during Garda interviews.

4 days ago | irishtimes.com | Conor Lally

A man who opened fire in a busy Carlow shopping centre before fatally wounding himself was due to appear in court on Wednesday to face 13 firearms and explosives charges after being arrested last year. Gardaí believe Evan Fitzgerald (22) of Portrushen, Kiltegan, Carlow, who died at Fairgreen Shopping Centre in Carlow town on Sunday evening, was very fearful of going to prison. Though he was described by sources as posing a danger, due to his obsession with guns, he was also regarded as vulnerable.