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Crime boss ‘Red’ Larry McCarthy banned from travelling to Limerick without permission

McCarthy will have to wait until December to find out his fate and whether he will be going back for another stint behind bars

Today at 19:33

ONCE a feared crime boss in Limerick, ‘Red’ Larry McCarthy is now banned from travelling to his native city without permission.

Last week, just as his trial for his part in the attempt to kill rival boss Christy Keane had been due to start, he dramatically changed his plea at the last minute.

What had been listed as 10-week trial with 101 witness was over in a matter of minutes as he admitted to a single charge of providing a car used by the gunmen.

Although still free on bail until his sentence hearing later this year, he has to give gardaí two days’ warning if he wants to travel anywhere in Munster.

Before proceedings got underway at the non-jury Special Criminal Court this week his defence counsel asked that McCarthy be re-arraigned on the single charge.

When it was read out by the court clerk McCarthy pleaded guilty and then went on to thank his legal team for their work over the last three years in preparing for the trial that never happened.

Speaking from the dock in a confident voice he said wanted their hard work “acknowledged”.

There was no explanation as to what prompted the change of heart with the facts of the case against him to now be heard at a future sentencing hearing.

In June, 2015 Christy Keane was lucky to survive when 13 shots were fired at him in the grounds of the University of Limerick where he had arrived for an early morning gym session.

The details of the assassination attempt emerged during the trials of two other men who pleaded guilty to a similar charge and were sentenced earlier this year.

While one of the men was able to walk free from the court with a suspended sentence the other, Noel Price, was given a six-and-a-half sentence last July.

McCarthy will have to wait until December to find out his fate and whether he will be going back for another stint behind bars.

His counsel asked for various reports to be drawn up before that date and there was no objection from the State.

The two sides had also agreed to vary McCarthy’s bail conditions which allow him to sign on three times a week at his local garda station instead of twice daily.

A curfew was lifted but he has to give 48 hours’ notice if he plans to travel to anywhere in Munster from his current address.

During one brief break in the proceeds McCarthy, who had been accompanied to court two women, laughed and smiled while chatting with his legal team.

During Price’s trial it was heard how the attempt on Christy Keane’s life was part of the feud between the McCarthy-Dundons and the Keane-Collopys.

A garda witness told how the feud dated back to 1993 and over the years there had been 19 murders and 15 attempted murders.

‘Red’ Larry McCarthy, a first cousin of the infamous Dundon brothers, had long been considered the leader of the family-based crime gang after reportedly being anointed as such by his dying grandfather.

During the worst of the feud violence in Limerick in the mid 2000s, McCarthy was serving a lengthy sentence in the UK after being caught in what was described as a “gun supermarket.”

He returned to Limerick in early 2011 after his release by which time gardaí had successfully cracked down on the feuding factions.

While there were a number of incidents between various gang members before June 2015, the attempt on Keane’s life came as a surprise after years of relative peace.

There were genuine concerns at the time the deadly feud could re-erupt in the wake of the assassination bid.

Red Larry is no stranger to the Special Criminal Court.

A month after the attack on Keane he was arrested over making threats to kill man in separate case of which he was later acquitted.

Then in another case in 2017 he was given a six-year-sentence at the non-jury court for taking part in the beating of a man over a motorbike accident compensation claim.

He got out of prison again in 2019 but it not long afterwards he was arrested over the attempt to kill Keane and was in custody until earlier this year.

Any potential sentence he gets next December will more than likely take into account the time he has already served while on remand.