Family reunion as former gangland murderer, who was seriously ill, is released

Derek McNamara, a convicted murderer and senior figure in Limerick’s criminal underworld, has been released from prison due to deteriorating health. McNamara was sentenced to life in 2006 for the murder of Martin O’Donoghue in Limerick city. At his trial, a senior garda officer described McNamara as “one of the most significant figures in criminality in this city”. McNamara had 22 previous convictions and was a father-of-six. Although he did not carry out the stabbing, it was the prosecution’s case that he was guilty of murder due to his participation in “the common design”.