Kinahan Gangland Lieutenant Jailed 24 Years
McGovern was found to have directed the murder of Noel Kirwan and an attempted killing of James Gately in the Kinahan-Hutch feud.
- On Monday, the Special Criminal Court in Dublin sentenced Sean McGovern, a senior lieutenant in the Kinahan cartel, to 24 years in prison for directing the 2016 murder of Noel Kirwan and an attempted killing of James Gately.
- McGovern admitted directing crimes during the deadly Hutch-Kinahan gangland feud and was extradited to Ireland from the United Arab Emirates in 2025 after his October 2024 arrest in Dubai.
- Justice Patrick McGrath stated McGovern "planned, oversaw and directed the murder" of Kirwan, a 62-year-old regarded as a "soft target," while monitoring Gately's movements via GPS tracker fitted to his car.
- The Kirwan family expressed "devastation" after sentencing, while Detective Superintendent Dave Gallagher stated the conviction proves "there are no untouchables" in Irish organised crime.
- Legal sources indicated McGovern's sentence increases the likelihood that cartel leader Daniel Kinahan could face 30 years or more if convicted in Dublin after his extradition from the United Arab Emirates.
41 Articles
41 Articles
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