A quarter of a century after John Gilligan organised the murder of journalist Veronica Guerin, crime writer  Paul Williams is bringing out a book on Ireland's most notorious criminal.

Gilligan tells the story of a young man's rise through the ranks of gangland following his journey from petty thief to vicious criminal. He was part of the generation of young criminals - like the General, the Cahills, the Hutches - who were responsible for the start of organised crime in Ireland.

Gilligan is now facing serious jail time in Spain for drug trafficking and the possession of firearms.

Paul Williams, who has written several books on crime and other issues over the past number of decades, spoke to Damien about Gilligan.  He said he still finds it very difficult to relive the murder of his colleague Veronia Guerin. He points out that Guerin's legacy is the establishment of the Criminal Assets Bureau, because of the investigative work she did before her death.

Have a listen to his conversation with Damien in the link on this podcast.

To hear the full show of Deise Today, click here.