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It was once the place often at the end of many jokes, a not so picturesque suburb of Dublin and a place ripe with unemployment.

Times had changed in Tallaght. Crime was on the downturn and a regeneration seemed to be working well for all. Parts of the community changed for the better with high rise buildings, hotels and businesses all setting up shop in South Dublin.

Then of course there was the return of Shamrock Rovers to its spiritual home with its impressive new stadium. The success of the club further boosted the local economy as they went on to win back to back league titles and became the first Irish side ever to enter the Europa League group stages. High profile clashes against giants like Juventus and Tottenham Hotspur seemed inconceivable at one date yet they came to fruition much to the benefit of the local community.

The culture of life in Tallaght had become so immersed that TV3 even went as far as commissioning a reality TV show entitled Tallafornia. The concept which is based on that of MTV`s hit shows Jersey Shore and Geordie Shore depicts a typical lifestyle for seven party hard individuals. While the show has been condemned by many for its antics it has nonetheless proved a ratings winner for TV3.

But just as Tallaght seemed to have taken a turn for the better things radically changed that brought everything back into perspective.

Crime was minimal in the area until the shocking murder of innocent 16 year old Melanie McCarthy McNamara who was gunned down as she sat in a car with her boyfriend and two others on February 7th last.   Her killing has been blamed on an indiscriminate attack linked to a feud involving local groups with links to the Travelling community and disputes over drugs. It is widely believed that her boyfriend Christopher Moran was the intended target.

Gardaì have since recovered the murder weapon and two men from Athy in County Kildare are currently been held in relation to the murder which has brought back elements of fear and panic to this sprawling community.

Following the murder there has been a huge presence of armed Gardaì on the streets of Tallaght yet in recent nights there have been numerous shootings not too far away from the murder scene.

On Tuesday evening Gardaì were called to a scene at Bawnlea Avenue in the Old Bawn area of Tallaght where there had been reports of shots been fired. Two cars which were believed to have been involved in the incident have been recovered a long with a small number of shotgun cartridges. No arrests have been made.

Last night Gardaì where then called to another disturbance in Bawnlea where a number of shots were fired at a car which was unoccupied at the time. Local councillors and TD`s have been quick to admonish those involved citing that the local community is now living in fear of been caught up in this apparent turf war that has erupted.

The history of Tallaght is such that it has always been somewhat hostile yet that element of life seemed to have disappeared in previous years. However this recent spate of attacks including the gruesome murder of Melanie have shown that crime is never too far from the surface.

Gardaì and the local community must dramatically increase their efforts if they are to prevent any such atrocities occurring again. In this case though there is no short term solution to what has been a long term problem.