"Only able to be identified by his DNA" – the ruthless gangland killing of Paul Byrne

As the 2000s came to a close, gang violence in Ireland was a common problem. In the summer of 2009, Paul ‘Frank’ Byrne, who was not considered to be a major criminal but was associated with a serious criminal gang, was seen getting into a wine-coloured Mitsubishi Carisma. It would be the last time the 20-year-old was seen alive. Byrne’s remains were discovered a little over a year later in a forest in Co Wicklow, identified only via DNA analysis. Seventeen years later, those responsible for his…