Haven't the various factions of the IRA typically been heavily intertwined with the drug gangs in recent years?

I have heard of linked but separate fates if I can put it like that between dissidents, but I've also heard that various dissidents are fiercely anti-drugs (but not so fiercely anti-drug that they would perform such a broad daylight murder in a hotel full of witnesses)

Could this claim just not be a bluff to distract from investigation into the gang feud element of the shooting?

That's what I'm starting to think, but I don't suspect the guards will believe it for a second. The other gangs involved in the dispute aren't going to assume that it was the IRA either, they'll just assume it was whoever they are currently having a fued with. The only people who I do think will eat it up, and it looks like they have, is the political parties and FG in particular. I'm wondering if maybe this was to try avoid the heavy involvement of politics getting involved. We know that when political pressure comes to bear that actual change can occur in the fight against gangs, the introduction of CAB is an example. If that is what's being attempted here its a huge step up by gangs in their sophistication of their strategy, but then this attack was already a step above normal in a normal hit.

The criminal gangs got burned badly by the likes of CAB in the past - I doubt they'll want another murder-fuelled investigation into their activities.

Yeah I can see the logic behind that and it might be the reason for trying to divert political attention away from criminal gangs.

There has been suggestions that this may have been either run by people outside of Ireland or had people from outside of Ireland involved with it. That could be why we're seeing change in weaponry, tactics and strategy.