Assassination of Martin Cahill

August 18, 1994

Martin Cahill, one of Ireland's most notorious and audacious criminals, was assassinated on August 18, 1994, in Ranelagh, Dublin. Known as "The General", Cahill was responsible for a series of high-profile robberies, including the theft of the Beit collection of paintings from Russborough House in 1986. His criminal career was marked by a flamboyant and defiant attitude towards the authorities. His assassination, believed to have been carried out by the Provisional IRA, brought an end to a criminal reign that had both fascinated and terrified the Irish public for years. The killing remains a significant event in the history of Irish crime.