Notorious crime boss Cornelius Price came within minutes of being executed by his arch enemy hitman Robbie Lawlor three years ago, we can reveal.
Detectives saved his life after getting a tip off that Lawlor was seen on Price's heavily fortified compound at Gormanston, Co Meath.
Gardai rushed to the scene and Lawlor got cold feet and escaped through local woods.
READ MORE - Gardaí believe late mobster Cornelius Price murdered Willie Maughan and pregnant partner with claw hammer
He was only out of prison a few days and had sworn vengeance against Price over the murder of his brother-in-law Richie Carbery, one of the four victims of the Drogheda feud.
Both Gardai and Lawlor, 36, blamed Price, 41, who died from a brain disease last weekend, for the cold-blooded execution at a housing estate in nearby Bettystown.
It is believed he brought in a hitman from England to carry out the attack.
A Garda source said: "Cornelius Price always brought in someone else and paid them to do his dirty work. That was his modus operandi.
"But Price came within minutes of being killed by Lawlor after he was freed from prison in December, 2019. The Drogheda feud was at its height at the time.
"Both Price and Lawlor were two of the main protagonists and they hated each other.
"We got a tip from someone that Lawlor was acting suspiciously around Price's compound.
"Luckily we got there within minutes and when Lawlor saw us, he fled the scene running away through the local woods.
"Our information was Lawlor was there to kill Price. Only for our intervention Price would probably have died that day. He was a very lucky man that we got a tip off, and got there in time.
"There was a nasty history between them as they battled to control the cocaine trade in the north-east. They absolutely hated each other's guts."
But Price got his revenge a few months later after the horrific murder by Lawlor of 17-year-old Keane Mulready-Woods in the Rathmullen housing estate in Drogheda.
The youngster had swapped between both rival gangs in the ongoing local feud.
Price and his gang paid for Lawlor to be set up and executed when he went to collect a drug debt in Belfast in April, 2020.
The Garda source added: "Cornelius Price believed he and his family's lives were in danger while Robbie Lawlor was knocking around. He saw what Lawlor did to young Mulready-Woods and vowed that wasn't going to happen to him or his family.
"He helped set Lawlor up and provided much of the cash to pay for the hit.
"He had gone to England for his own safety but he was determined to get Robbie Lawlor taken out.
"The evening Lawlor came knocking on his door was too close for comfort for him. When Lawlor hunted a target, he rarely missed.
"The deaths of the two of them means the streets will be safer. They were both two ruthless criminals who would not bat an eyelid killing people."
Cornelius Price had been in a coma for over a year after suffering a severe brain condition. His funeral is likely to be held in Ireland in the next few weeks.
Gardai are expected to put a high security policing plan in place for the funeral.
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