Ballyfermot gangster, who is understood to have ordered the murders of the Corballys and Ryle, is well known to gardai.

gangsters who killed Robert Ryle had been intending to assassinate another man, it is believed.

Ryle (30) was not the original target of the hit, which gardai suspect was ordered by a notorious gangland boss.

The gun victim died yesterday morning in hospital after losing a three-day fight for his life. Ryle, from Blackditch Road, Ballyfermot, was blasted five times on Foxdene Avenue in Clondalkin shortly before 8.40pm on Sunday.

It is believed his death is linked to a bloody feud between two gangs based in the Bally- fermot area. Brothers Kenneth (32) and Paul Corbally (35) from Ballyfermot were gunned down last June in the dispute.

Ryle, who was an associate of the Corballys, had been driven to Foxdene Avenue by a woman friend on Sunday evening.

When he stepped out of the car to walk up a driveway, he was confronted by a masked gunman, who shot him in the head, neck and upper body.

Ryle was taken to Tallaght hospital where he underwent emergency surgery but he succumbed to his injuries early yesterday. It was the 20th gun murder of the year.

TREATMENT

It is understood the gunman was sent there to murder an associate of Ryle's but when Ryle unexpectedly emerged from the car he was shot.

The intended target was higher up the gang's pecking order than Ryle, who garda regarded as a minor player.

Gardai recovered a handgun they believe was used in the murder. The gunman dropped the weapon when Ryle's companion drove her car into the assassin during the attack.

The killer escaped but gardai believe he sustained injuries and may have sought medical treatment in recent days.

The Corballys were shot dead when a car they were sitting in on Neilstown Road in Clondalkin was sprayed with bullets.

The Ballyfermot gangster, who is understood to have ordered the murders of the Corballys and Ryle, is well known to gardai. He is one of the biggest drug dealers in west Dublin and is hiding out in Portugal.

The major west Dublin drug trafficker is directing his criminal activities from a villa on the outskirts of Lisbon, the Herald understands.

He has been engaged in a bitter gang war with associates of the murdered Corbally brothers since a mass brawl in September 2009, which resulted in the death of British criminal Jason Martin. The criminal, who is in his mid-30s, has convictions for assault, larceny, dangerous driving and criminal damage, but has managed to avoid any drugs convictions.

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