In the 1990's, Ireland saw a boom in organised crime and the importation of drugs that it had not experienced before. Criminals set themselves up at the head of drugs empires and reaped the benefit of their crimes to the tune of millions of pounds a year. Gardai struggled to keep up with these developments, and had no recourse to the extravagant spending of the crime bosses, who set up shell companies and owned expensive homes, vehicles and lived lavish lifestyles.

When Veronica Guerin, crime correspondent for the Sunday Independent, began asking questions of these gangsters, she found herself in the firing line. Quite literally.



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Theme Music:
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Sources:
Paul Williams, Evil Empire: John Gilligan, his gang and the execution of Veronica Guerin (Merlin: Dublin, 2001). Purchase here

Emily O'Reilly, Veronica Guerin: The life and death of a Crime Reporter (Vintage Press: London, 1998) Purchase here

Trevor Quinn, “Brian Meehan to spend rest of life in prison over Veronica Guerin murder” in DublinLive.ie https://www.dublinlive.ie/news/dublin-news/brian-meehan-spend-rest-life-12643963 22 February 2017 
 
Emma McMenamy, “Veronica Guerin's killer Brian Meehan caught with drugs in prison” in DublinLive.ie https://www.dublinlive.ie/news/dublin-news/veronica-guerins-killer-brian-meehan-11727788 10 August 2016 
 
Independent NewsDesk, “Veronica Guerin's killer Brian Meehan caught with drugs behind bars” in The Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/crime/veronica-guerins-killer-brian-meehan-caught-with-drugs-behind-bars-34954772.html 10 August 2016 
 
“Brian Meehan loses appeal against Veronica Guerin murder conviction” in The Irish Times https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/brian-meehan-loses-appeal-against-veronica-guerin-murder-conviction-1.2614660 18 April 2016 
 
Cathal McMahon, “Gardai quizzed killer Brian Meehan over shooting of former mob boss John Gilligan” in The Irish Mirror https://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/crime/gardai-quizzed-killer-brian-meehan-3529498 12 May 2014 
 
Ronan Duffy, “Veronica Guerin's killer has application against his conviction rejected” in thejournal.ie http://www.thejournal.ie/veronica-guerin-murder-appeal-2721091-Apr2016/ 18 April 2016 
 
Christina Finn, “Defence team look for Veronica Guerin's killer says court must look at 'flaw' in original trial”, in thejournal.ie http://www.thejournal.ie/brian-meehan-appeal-veronica-guerin-2456723-Nov2015/ 20 November 2015 
 
Christina Finn, “Veronica Guerin's killer is appealing his conviction for her murder” in thejournal.ie http://www.thejournal.ie/brian-meehan-veronica-guerin-appeal-court-2454499-Nov2015/ 19 November 2015 
 
Ruaidhri Giblin, “Two decades after Veronica Guerin's murder, her killer is appealing his conviction” in thejournal.ie http://www.thejournal.ie/veronica-guerin-murder-conviction-appeal-2171827-Jun2015/ 19 June 2015 
 
Emma McMenamy, “Gangster John Gilligan back socialising in Clondalkin, Dublin – despite failed murder attempt in 2014” in The Irish Mirror https://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/gangster-john-gilligan-back-socialising-12753289 21 June 2018 
 
David Coleman, “Scumbag gangster John Gilligan pictured ' sleeping like a baby' on Spain bound flight from Belfast” in The Irish Mirror https://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/crime/scumbag-gangster-john-gilligan-pictured-12960529 22 July 2018 
 
Nicola Tallant and Allison Bray, “Criminal John Gilligan travelling between Spain and England with new girlfriend who 'loves him more than life'” in The Iri