Barry Doyle:?charged with rugby player's murder

A Dublin man has been charged with the murder of amateur rugby player Shane Geoghegan at a special sitting of Limerick district court.

Barry Doyle (23), with an address at 106 Hyde Road, Limerick, but formerly of Portland Row, Dublin 1, was charged with Geoghegan's murder yesterday at 4pm by detective Sean Lynch of Roxboro Road station. He made no reply when charged and was remanded in custody to appear again before Limerick district court on Friday.

Geoghegan was shot dead in a case of mistaken identity near his home in Dooradoyle, Limerick, on 9 November 2008. The murder of the young man shocked the country and led to a major crackdown on Limerick's criminal gangs.

The development follows an intensive week of investigations where 120 detectives, working in 36 teams, repeatedly interviewed 14 people – seven women and seven men. Overnight on Friday, gardaí released without charge seven people held in connection with the murder and a file is to be sent to the DPP. Doyle was arrested in Bruff, Limerick, on Tuesday. All other people held in relation to the murder were released without charge yesterday and files were prepared for the DPP.

Geoghegan (28) was shot dead on a Limerick housing estate by gunmen who mistook him for a gangland criminal they were sent to murder. He was returning home from watching the Ireland-Canada rugby game at a friend's house in the Kilteragh estate just after 1.30am when his killers struck.

Geoghegan, captain of Garryowen thirds team, ran for his life but was cornered in the back garden of a neighbour's home and gunned down, with one bullet striking him in the head.