Put an end to violence in Ireland

TWO killings on the same day little more than a five-minute drive apart once again highlights the appalling level of violence in Irish society.

David Lynch was gunned down in broad daylight in his front garden in what has all the hallmarks of yet another gangland killing.

While there has been much attention given to the Kinahan cartel and its murderous feud with the Hutches there has been less focus on the smaller – but equally violent – gang wars.

Just days earlier a man was shot and seriously injured in a car park as dozens of shoppers, including children, looked on.

This murder attempt was part of one of many local gang wars which are raging in the cities and towns around the country.

The reality is Ireland is a violent society where shootings are now an everyday event.

It has got so bad in some parts of Dublin that parents are afraid to allow their kids out on the street because of the fear they will be shot.

Like gangland shootings, attacks on women are a daily occurrence and Cathy Ward is the seventh to die violently in recent months.

Figures from SAFE Ireland show 216 such females have been killed here since 1996.

This is an appalling statistic for a country with a population of little more than 4.5 million.

The message must go out that violence, on the street or in the home, is unacceptable and perpretrators must face the full force of the law.