John O'Donovan, 18, denied bail over drive-by shooting charges in Limerick
On 8 May 2025 at around 1am, a masked man driving a stolen Audi A4 fired multiple shots at homes in the Hyde Road or Hyde Avenue area, Ballinacurra Weston, Limerick city, with no injuries reported. The attack was filmed on a phone and shared on social media. On 10 June 2025, Gardaí arrested two men, aged in their twenties and late teens, and seized suspected controlled drugs with an estimated street value in excess of €28,000 at a domestic residence. John O'Donovan, 18, of Valley View, Southill, Limerick, was charged with three counts of using or possessing stolen vehicles and one count of arson, and Gardaí alleged he was involved in a feud between the Collins and O'Donoghue families. Judge Patricia Harney at Limerick District Court refused bail to O'Donovan and remanded him in custody for DPP directions on 17 June 2025.
- Reportednot reported
- Arrested10 Jun
2 reports - Charged16 Jun
- In court
- Verdict
- Sentenced
Key facts
consolidated from all reports- What happened
- A masked man driving a stolen Audi A4 fired multiple shots at homes in the Hyde Road or Hyde Avenue area, Ballinacurra Weston, Limerick city, on 8 May 2025 at around 1am, with no injuries reported.
- Footage of the shooting, shared on social media, shows a balaclava-clad passenger and a driver wearing blue gardening gloves firing shots from a moving car.
- A black Audi A4 and a white Lexus NX were stolen in Dublin on 25 April 2025, and the Lexus was later found burned out in Murroe, Co Limerick.
- Investigation
- Gardaí from the Limerick Crime Functional Area arrested two men, aged in their twenties and late teens, on 10 June 2025, and seized suspected controlled drugs with an estimated street value in excess of €28,000 at a domestic residence.
- The two men are detained under Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act, 2007.
- Charges
- John O'Donovan, 18, of Valley View, Southill, Limerick, was charged with three counts of using or possessing stolen vehicles and one count of arson.
- Other details
- Gardaí alleged O'Donovan was involved in a feud between the Collins and O'Donoghue families, and that his mobile phone was turned off before the shooting and turned back on after.
- In court
- Judge Patricia Harney at Limerick District Court refused bail to O'Donovan and remanded him in custody for DPP directions on 17 June 2025.
27 statements extracted from the articles
- whatTwo men were arrested as part of ongoing investigations into a firearm discharge (garda.ie)
- whatGardaí seized suspected controlled drugs with an estimated street value in excess of €28,000 (garda.ie)
- whatThe two men are aged in their twenties and late teens (garda.ie, irishmirror.ie)
- whatFootage shows a balaclava-clad passenger in a moving car. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe driver was wearing blue gardening gloves. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe motorist fired two shots out the window while the car was moving. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatIn a second video the motorist fired one shot, then six more in quick succession, before firing one more shot. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatNo injuries were reported following the shooting. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatSuspected controlled drugs with an estimated street value in excess of €28,000 were seized at a domestic residence. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe attack was recorded on a phone and shared on social media. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThere were no reports of injuries. (irishtimes.com)
- whatO'Donovan's mobile phone was turned off prior to the shooting and turned back on after it. (irishtimes.com)
- whereThe firearm was discharged in the Hyde Avenue area, Ballinacurra Weston, Limerick city (garda.ie)
- whereThe drugs were seized at a domestic residence (garda.ie)
- whereThe men were conveyed to Garda Stations in County Limerick (garda.ie)
- whereThe shooting took place in the Hyde Road area, Ballinacurra Weston, Limerick. (irishmirror.ie)
- whereA masked man driving a stolen Audi A4 fired multiple shots at homes at Hyde Road, Ballinacurra Weston, Limerick. (irishtimes.com)
- whereThe stolen cars were driven to Junction 14 service station in Co Kildare. (irishtimes.com)
- whereThe Lexus was found burned out in Murroe, Co Limerick. (irishtimes.com)
- whenThe incident occurred on Thursday 8 May 2025 (garda.ie)
- whenA firearm was discharged at around 1am on Thursday, May 8, in the Hyde Road area, Ballinacurra Weston, Limerick. (irishmirror.ie)
- whenThe gun attack occurred on 8 May 2025. (irishtimes.com)
- whenA black Audi A4 and a white Lexus NX were stolen in Dublin on 25 April 2025. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationThe men are detained under Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act, 2007 (garda.ie)
- investigationGardaí from the Limerick Crime Functional Area arrested two men on 10 June 2025. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationThe two men are detained under Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act, 2007. (irishmirror.ie)
- courtO'Donovan was to appear before Limerick District Court via video-link for DPP directions on 17 June 2025. (irishtimes.com)
The reporting
newest first- 16 Jun2025Suspect in ‘violent feud’ denied bail over charges linked to drive-by shooting
Bail hearing at Limerick District Court where Judge Patricia Harney refused bail and remanded O'Donovan in custody for DPP directions on 17 June 2025. Details of the shooting, the stolen vehicles, and the alleged feud between the Collins and O'Donoghue families were set out by Det Garda Darragh Conroy.
accused, 18, male, irish (judged from name) - 11 Jun2025Two arrested and €28,000 of drugs seized after late night drive-by shooting
Two men (aged in their twenties and late teens) arrested on 10 June 2025; over €28,000 in suspected controlled drugs seized at a domestic residence; footage of the shooting shows a balaclava-clad passenger and a driver in blue gardening gloves firing multiple shots from a moving car; no injuries reported.
suspect, twenties, malesuspect, late teens, male - 10 Jun2025Discharge of Firearm on Hyde Avenue, Limerick city, Tuesday 10th June 2025
Two men arrested on 10 June 2025; suspected controlled drugs with street value in excess of €28,000 seized at a domestic residence during the operation.
suspect, twenties, malesuspect, late teens, male