Donegal News
Catriona Gallen
THE 28-year-old man found shot in the Churchill area on Tuesday is in a critical but stable condition in the Mater Hospital in Dublin. Liam McGinley, with an address at Riverside apartments, Lower Main street, Letterkenny was taken to Letterkenny General Hospital in the early hours of Tuesday morning. The separated father of six had a shot gun wound to his abdomen and had walked to John Harley's home at Ardacrin, Churchill looking for help at 2.10am.
Mr McGinley had been abducted, shot and dumped on a dirt track in the remote Derryveagh mountains. Mr Harley enlisted the help of his neighbour and local taxi driver and took the injured man to Letterkenny General hospital. Staff at the Accident and Emergency department alerted gardai. Mr McGinley was later transferred to the Mater Hospital in Dublin where he remains in intensive care. Gardai are awaiting medical clearance to question him in relation to the incident.
Mr McGinley grew up in Falcarragh and has been living in Letterkenny for a number of years. He is well known to Gardai and has been in court on numerous occasions on public order charges. Most recently he was in court for threatening an undercover member of the drug squad when he was stopped and searched under the Misuse of Drugs Act. He was released on bail and ordered to stay away from the Main Street area of Letterkenny between 9pm and 9am and weekends. He also had to sign on daily at the Garda Station.
Mr McGinley was diagnosed with schizophrenia when he was 14 and is on a number of different medications. He is originally from Scotland.
Garda search teams and sniffer dogs were combing the extensive area from Glendowan to Meenaroy this week. They are trying to ascertain the location of the shooting. Superintendent Jim Gallagher, leading the investigation, appealed for witnesses to come forward.
He said it was known Mr McGinley had met with three individuals at O'Donnell Park, Ballymacool at 10pm on Monday, November 19. Mr McGinley then got into a vehicle and was next seen at 2.10am at Ardacrin with a shot gun wound to his side.
Gardai are anxious to establish Mr McGinley's whereabouts from 10.20pm on November 19 until 2.10am the following day. The type and make of vehicle is unknown and gardai are appealing to the public for any information.
"Search teams are combing the area and we have three specially trained sniffer dogs from the Dublin division involved in the search. Our main priority is to establish where the incident happened and carry out a forensic examination of the area. We have yet to conduct a formal interview with the injured man," said Supt Gallagher.
Gardai are appealing for anyone who may have spotted Mr McGinley in Letterkenny on Monday night. He is described as a tall, dark haired and of mixed race. Gardai believe he is easily recognisable to the public.
"Mr McGinley was living in the Riverside area near the Lower Main Street. He could have walked to O'Donnell park via the Pearse road or used the Lower Main street route. We are asking anyone who may have saw him after 10pm on Monday night to get in touch." Anyone in the vicinity of O'Donnell park and may have spotted Mr McGinley getting into a vehicle around 10.20pm is asked to contact Gardai in Milford on 074 91 53060
Vice Chair of the Joint Policing Committee, Cllr Gerry McMonagle said there had been no evidence to contradict speculation that the shooting incident was drugs related. "This is a very worrying development. There has been a lot of stabbings around town in recent weeks and feuds between gangs. "Now people are lifting guns and shooting somebody. People peddling drugs and ruining people's lives think nothing of lifting a gun and taking a life. It is profit before all else," said Cllr McMonagle. "We have a very small dedicated drugs team in the Garda station in Letterkenny but they are rudderless at present. Questions have to be asked as to who is directing operations? We need a Sergeant and expansion of the unit," he said.
He urged residents of Letterkenny to attend the Joint Policing Committee public meeting next Wednesday in the Regional Cultural Centre and put their concerns to the Gardai and the committee. "Residents groups should send along representatives. We want to know what would make a safer Letterkenny and where Garda resources need to be placed," he said.
Drugs Activist PJ BLake said it was only a matter of time before guns were used in drugs rows in Letterkenny. "Drugs are on every street in Donegal. It is profit before life. There is too much money being made from selling drugs and not enough resources to tackle the problem.
"The most recent Garda Statistics shows a 26 per cent increase in drug crime in the county. This incident may force Letterkenny Gardai to put in place a member in charge of the drug squad. There has been no replacement since Sylvie Henry was promoted to Inspector in Glenties. In neighbourhood watch people contact Sarah Hardigan, for Community Liaison officer its JJ Kirwan but there's no-one in charge of the drug squad.
"The last time I raised this issue back in July the Garda Press office said a member would be in place by the end of the summer. It's almost December and the situation has not improved. There are only 10 Garda members in the Drugs unit spread between Letterkenny, Donegal Town and Buncrana. There should be 10 people in Letterkenny alone.
"Dealing in drugs is a very dangerous game and unfortunately this shooting is just a symptom of the bigger picture," said Mr Blake.
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