Veronica Guerin 2003

Veronica Guerin is an intrepid crime reporter for the Sunday Independent, fiercely devoted to uncovering the truth behind Dublin’s burgeoning illegal drug trade. As she witnesses its devastating impact on the city’s working-class citizens, particularly its youth, her resolve hardens to expose those culpable.

She embarks on a challenging journey, beginning with the heart-wrenching interviews of young addicts lost to their circumstances, shooting up in the streets or abandoned structures within the housing projects. Her quest for justice leads her directly to prominent suppliers and a key informant named John Traynor, who offers some assistance, albeit with a self-serving agenda to shield himself from the dangerous drug lord, John Gilligan. Manipulatively, Traynor redirects Guerin’s attention towards Gerry Hutch, also known as “The Monk”, suggesting he orchestrates the drug operations—a lead that ultimately proves untrue.

As Guerin plunges deeper into her investigation, uncovering unsettling truths, her safety and that of her family becomes jeopardized. Following an initial warning shot fired through her window that fails to dissuade her, she endures a gunshot wound to her leg that threatens her son, Cathal’s, life. Despite her husband Graham, her mother Bernie, and brother Jimmy urging her to abandon her pursuit, Guerin’s determination only intensifies. After confronting Gilligan in a violent encounter at his home, she resolutely decides against pressing charges, understanding that it could jeopardize her access to crucial information about her story.

On June 26, 1996, after returning from a court appearance for unpaid parking and speeding tickets, she receives a call to share her good news with her family. However, tragedy strikes as she stops at a red light on the Naas Dual Carriageway—a motorcycle unexpectedly pulls up alongside her, and the driver ruthlessly shatters her window, shooting her six times before fleeing the scene.

Her untimely death resonates across the nation, evoking profound grief among her family, friends, and the larger community. Guerin’s legacy not only leads to the formation of the Criminal Assets Bureau but also results in the arrest and conviction of Gilligan and several of his associates.

In a poignant epilogue, it is revealed that “Veronica Guerin’s writing turned the tide in the drug war. Her murder galvanized Ireland into action, inspiring thousands to take to the streets in weekly anti-drug demonstrations that forced dealers into hiding. Within a week of her assassination, the Irish Parliament convened an emergency session, amending the Constitution to enable the High Court to freeze the assets of suspected drug lords. Everyone in the Republic of Ireland remembers where they were when they learned of Veronica Guerin’s murder on the Naas Road.”