DISSIDENT republicans have claimed responsibility for the death of a man during a boxing weigh-in shooting in Dublin on Friday.
In a statement to the BBC, a man who said he was speaking on behalf of the leadership of the Continuity IRA (CIRA) made the claim about the attack, which also left two others injured.
He suggested that David Byrne, 33, was targeted because he had been involved in the killing of Alan Ryan in Dublin in 2012.
Ryan, 32, was a leading member of another dissident republican group, the Real IRA and at the time he was said to be involved in a feud with major gangland criminals.
"Although not a member of our organisation, we are not going to stand back and allow drug dealers and criminals to target republicans," the CIRA spokesman said.
In the statement it was also suggested that the group plan to carry out further attacks.
The incident took place at Dublin’s Regency Hotel at around 2.30pm last Friday during a weigh-in ahead of a Clash of the Clans boxing bout between Dubliner Jamie Kavanagh and Portuguese boxer Antonio Joao Bento.
It came ahead of The World Boxing Organization (WBO) European lightweight title fight that was due to take place on Saturday night.
Byrne from Raleigh Square in Crumlin in the south of the city was killed, while two other men were injured from possible gunshot wounds.
Gardaí said three of the gunmen wore police-style SWAT team uniforms and were armed with AK47 assault rifles, the BBC reports.
At least six people were believed to be involved in the attack.
According to RTÉ two of the gunmen may have arrived from Britain or mainland Europe.
Following the attack, investigators have been making international inquiries through Interpol, Europol, and through Garda liaison officers in the Britain and Spain.
Armed checkpoints have now been erected in Dublin, as Gardaí fear the possibility of retaliation.
