Bikers give guard of honour to 'brother' who was shot dead
Hundreds of bikers gave one of their former "brothers", who was murdered last weekend, a guard of honour as his body was brought on one of his final journeys tonight.
More than 100 bikers dressed in jeans and black leather jackets emblazoned with badges and emblems from their individual motorcycle clubs, rode in convoy from Ballyneety Co Limerick, where the body of biker Andrew O'Donoghue was reposed before he was brought to the Road Tramp Motorcycle Club, Murroe, for a private wake.
Mr O'Donoghue, 51, was gunned down in a drive-by shooting outside the Road Tramps clubhouse last Saturday.
According to Murroe parish priest Fr Loughlin Brennan, Mr O'Donoghue's body will lay in repose at the club's base overnight before his removal to Murroe Church on Wednesday morning.
"I said prayers in Ballyneety tonight at Mr O'Donoghue's reposing," he said. "The body will lay in repose at the clubhouse in Murroe tonight and it will be brought to the church for Mass tomorrow morning."
Gardaí believe the shooting resulted from ongoing tensions between some members of the club and a former member who had fallen out with the local "brotherhood".
Speaking this evening, retired Murroe Parish Priest, Fr Tom Ryan, described Mr O'Donoghue's murder as "a huge shock" to the local community.
"It's a sad time and people in Murroe are still trying to get their heads around all this. It certainly was not expected," he said.
Four men, including the chief suspect for the shooting, are being questioned by gardaí.
According to sources, there have been rising tensions among biker associates in the Murroe area over the past few weeks. Gardaí believe a shooting at an apartment rented by a member of the biker community on Sunday was connected to the ongoing tensions.
"People are shocked. There was the shooting, and then you've had roads blocked by gardaí, and then house-to-house inquiries. It's upset a lot of people. Murroe is a lovely quiet place," Fr Ryan said.
There was a visible Garda presence in Ballyneety tonight. However, no incidents were reported.
Mr O'Donoghue and his partner Catherine Danaher were together since their teens. They have one child, Ava, 11.
Fr Ryan said: "I've been talking to Catherine yesterday and today and people in Murroe are responding well to her. She's getting a lot of support. She has great friends and I know she will she get all that kind of support long after the funeral as well."
"Their little girl is in sixth class; she's nearly 12. I was in the school yesterday and had a few words with her class and they were most concerned for her and were very supportive," he added.
It is understood Mr O'Donoghue will be laid to rest in his Road Tramps-emblazoned leather jacket on Wednesday.
