Gardaí are reviewing a large volume of photographs and video footage recorded at a march in Dublin to commemorate the anniversary of the shooting dead of Real IRA figure Alan Ryan.
Detectives are using the material in an effort to uncover any new alliances his associates have formed since he was gunned down.
“When you have events like this there are lots of people at it with no involvement (in terrorism) but sometimes new people show up and people from other factions that you don’t expect,” said one source.
A new group called the New IRA, which is effectively an alliance between a number of dissident factions, has come together since Ryan (32) was shot dead at Grange Lodge Avenue in Clongriffin, north Dublin, on September 3rd last year.
About 200 people took part in the commemorative march on Saturday which began at Ryan's family home at Grange Abbey in Clongriffin, north Dublin, before proceeding to the cemetery in nearby Balgriffin where he is buried.
The event was well planned and involved a colour guard, dressed in grey shirts, black trousers or skirts and wearing berets and sunglasses.
They led the marchers, including a 50-strong marching band dressed in white T-shirts depicting Ryan’s face, and green combat trousers.
When the group reached Balgriffin cemetery a microphone had been erected for speeches, with Ryan’s brother Dermot one of those to address the crowd.
Ryan was murdered in an attacked planned and funded by a number of organised drugs gangs in Dublin he was extorting money from.
His grave was vandalised on Friday night ahead of Saturday’s march. The slogan “rat scum” was sprayed on the headstone but was cleaned before Saturday’s event.
Shots were fired over his coffin last year at his family home in Donaghmede and those organising the funeral closed off some roads around the house.
Gardaí stood back drawing criticism from many quarters.
Garda management were keen not to see a repeat on Saturday and a very heavy Garda presence was in place at the Ryan family home and all along the route as those gathered made their way to the graveyard.
On arrival at the cemetery the marchers found hundreds of uniformed gardaí had already taken up positions there. A large group of uniformed gardaí remained packed beside Ryan’s grave in a bid to deter any show of dissident republican strength.
Gardaí on horseback and in marked 4X4 vehicles led the marchers and uniformed gardaí walked shoulder to shoulder with them to the graveside.
