Irish police link death to city dissidents

Garda intelligence sources believe that he was gunned down by Derry based Real IRA dissidents to cause problems for Sinn Fin within the Stormont administration. the Provisional IRA were initially blamed for Donaldson's murder.

It has emerged that Gardai are pursuing a number of lines of inquiry that have emerged recently. However, they admit they did not know if these could lead to a breakthrough in the case.

56-year-old Denis Donaldson was shot in the face, chest arm and hand in his remote cottage near Doochary, County Donegal in April 2007. The Gardai say that a special investigative team are still working on the case.

Suspicions that Donaldson's former colleagues in the Provo's had circulated for sometime after his slaying, but as more information emerged, it pointed to dissident involvement.

The Real IRA also latterly claimed responsibility for Donaldson's killing.

Garda now believe that associates of a major Real IRA figure in Londonderry organised and carried out the murder.

The dissident figure has been accused of masterminding a terrorist campaign in the North West in the last ten years. He is said to have sided with the Real IRA group opposed to the group's jailed chief of staff, Michael McKevitt, when the organisation split.

One of that group was found dead at his home in Stamullen, Co Meath, last week. Seamus McGreevy had been awaiting extradition to Lithuania in connection with an alleged plot to purchase arms and explosives for the Real IRA.

He was part owner of a house at Carrigans, County Donegal, close to the border with Londonderry where policed had recently unearthed a cannabis factory, the contents of which were said to be worth an estimated street value of €500,000. The house had been rented out and McGreevy was unaware of the cannabis business.

The inquest into Donaldson's death was adjourned in Letterkenny last week, until August 20, at the request of the gardai, who said "technical" avenues of investigation were being pursued.

There have been calls made to Justice Minister Dermot Ahern to crack down on dissident republicans. earlier this week a heavy security operation against suspected dissidents was launched in Cork City.