There is a €20,000 reward available for information that leads to the conviction of the person or people who organised a nearly fatal attack on a postman in 2008. 

Robert Delaney is a father of two and at the time was living with his partner in an apartment in Tallaght. 

On The Pat Kenny Show, his father, Terry, described him as a “really happy go lucky kind of guy” who had “no connection with any criminality whatsoever”. 

However, Robert’s life changed forever when one day when he came across a young man being assaulted. 

“Robert intervened and hit the assailant and broke up the row,” Terry explained. 

“The subsequent events then turned very serious and led us to where we are today.”  

Afterwards, Robert learnt that the man he hit was a man whose father had connections to dissident republicans. 

“He took the initiative, which was to go and see this criminal, try and make peace and had a one to one with him,” Terry said. 

“The Gardaí have confirmed that this meeting took place.” 

The attack

After the meeting Robert relaxed, but one morning at 6am, his doorbell rang and he was shot in the head with a shotgun.

The man who wielded the weapon was Daniel Gaynor - who Gardaí described as a  ‘gun for hire’. 

“He in turn was shot by a criminal gang for some other activity,” Terry said. 

Robert has never made a full recovery and at one point his family were told they should say their goodbyes to him. 

“He’s in the wonderful care of the staff at Peamount Hospital, St Bride’s,” Terry said. 

“They look after him extremely well down there, it’s just a wonderful place that he’s in.” 

Robert is in a vegetative state and this means he requires round the clock care. 

“That’s known as the ‘living death’,” Terry said. 

“Where a person’s not on life support, their whole body is functioning but they have absolutely no knowledge of who is there.” 

Justice

17 years on since Robert was attacked, the family are still as keen as ever to find out who ordered the attack on him. 

“Our focus in recent years has been the Justice for Robert Delaney campaign and to encourage people who have information about those who orchestrated it, paid for it,” Terry said. 

“We’ve put up a €20,000 reward for information that will lead to their conviction.” 

Anyone with any information can contact Tallaght Garda Station.

Main image: Robert Delaney.