The brother of a journalist shot dead by gangland criminals 20 years ago has said she died in vain.
Veronica Guerin's murder, on the outskirts of Dublin, sparked a public outcry and led to new legislation.
With reporters again under threat, Jimmy Guerin believes the drugs barons are more powerful than ever.
He said: "We're in a much worse place now than we were 20 years ago".
"The gangs have re-emerged much stronger, much more powerful, much more ruthless and far more immoral than the ones that went before".
"I would believe if we take the way we're living today, there was nothing gained from Veronica’s death and yes, her death was in vain".
"I have always said that it was too high a price to pay but unfortunately, we've paid an extremely high price for nothing at all".
Jimmy Guerin, brother of murdered journalist Veronica Guerin | Image: RollingNews.ie
Mr Guerin told Newstalk Lunchtime he is afraid we still have not learned from what happened to his sister.
A feud between two Irish drugs cartels has claimed three lives, amid fears it could escalate.
The capital has been on high alert since gunmen opened fire in a hotel during the weigh-in for a boxing match.
Three members of the hit team were dressed as a garda SWAT team, and four were armed with AK-47s.
Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald has called for an international response to the threat posed by the crime lords.
"They've become very sophisticated, they're using the dark net, they don't leave their messages on mobile phones anymore, they're using all sorts of apps, so it needs very sophisticated policing", she said.
The memorial to murdered Sunday Independent crime journalist Veronica Guerin in the gardens of Dublin Castle | Image: RollingNews.ie
Gerry "The Monk" Hutch and Christy Kinahan used to be associates.
Kinahan, now based on the Costa Del Sol, has drug and gun convictions in Ireland, Belgium and the Netherlands.
Gerry Hutch blames Kinahan for the murder of his nephew, Gary Hutch, who was shot dead in Spain last year.
The shooting at the weigh-in in a Dublin hotel was retaliation - the victim, David Byrne, was a close friend of the Kinahans.
Eddie Hutch, the brother of Gerry and uncle of the first victim, was the third to die in the cycle of tit-for-tat killing.
