Michael Tormey was shot three times in chest on doorstep as wife and daughter slept

A massive garda investigation into the murder of Mr Tormey (49) is ongoing today but there have been no arrests so far in the case.

Senior sources said a major line in the case is whether Mr Tormey had been involved in a disagreement with local criminals at a house party just hours before he was shot dead in the front garden of his home in Ballyfermot at 5am.

It is being investigated whether the gunman or gunmen then arrived at the victim’s property on Thomond Road and fatally shot the victim as he stood in the garden.

The wife and young daughter of Mr Tormey were asleep in the house at the time he was killed.

Gardaí are today continuing a forensic search of the garden and neighbouring gardens on Thomond Road, Ballyfermot.

Mr Tormey is not known by gardaí to be involved in any criminality, and the focus of the garda investigation is on a house party that Mr Tormey is believed to have attended in the hours prior to being targeted.

It is believed Mr Tormey left the party and had arrived home, but that the killer may have called to the door about an hour later and lured him out before shooting him.

Nobody heard the shots despite Mr Tormey being hit a number of times.

His wife and one of his daughters, believed to be six-years-old, were asleep in the house at the time.

He was later found slumped on the driveway between the front door and a car, and a call was made to Dublin Fire Brigade who then alerted gardaí after they attended the scene.

One line that gardaí are investigating is if Mr Tormey may have been involved in asking some people to leave the earlier house party and if this caused some sort of tension or grudge.

Family friend and local councillor Hazel de Nortúin told RTÉ Radio One’s Morning Ireland that Mr Tormey was a hardworking man who lived for his family.

He was into fitness and training and enjoyed singing karaoke with his friends.

“He was good friends with my husband, he was only at our wedding in August and he was a very decent, hard working man, he was a loyal friend and his sole focus and purpose in life was working with his children and his family to make sure they had everything they need,” she said.

“He would have been a private man in ways, focused on his fitness and his training, and he enjoyed partaking in the karaoke scene that would be famous around these parts of Ballyfermot.

“All round a very joyous, nice, loving man and it's a huge loss to our community, it’s unbelievable that this has happened, It is very shocking to process it all.

“He spoke so highly of his life constantly and the children, he was a genuinely really nice man.”

Speaking to the Sunday World last night, Ms de Nortúin said: “He was a very decent man, a family-orientated man and he was a great friend to those who knew him.

“I never heard a bad word about him from the time I knew him. This is a tragedy.

“He only got married in 2019 and my condolences go to his wife and children. The community is completely shocked.

“I really want to extend my condolences to those who knew him and the community of Ballyfermot,” she added.

More to follow…