A senior Kinahan cartel member expressed terror that a brazen gun attack at a Dublin hotel nearly eradicated his entire family line, a court has heard.
Sean McGovern, 40, extradited from Dubai last year, pleaded guilty to two counts of directing a criminal organization between 2015 and 2017. He faces a potential life sentence. One charge involves the murder of 62-year-old grandfather Christopher ‘Noel’ Kirwan, a family friend of the rival Hutch gang photographed at the funeral of gang leader Gary Hutch. The second concerns surveillance on Hutch associate James ‘Mago’ Gately, suspected in the hotel assault. Authorities foiled a hired foreign hitman targeting Gately.
Regency Hotel Shooting: A Turning Point
The February 5, 2016, attack at Dublin’s Regency Hotel marked a pivotal escalation in the Kinahan-Hutch feud. McGovern sustained gunshot wounds but escaped. Two days later, he messaged senior gang member ‘Cap’ under the alias ‘Knife’.
Cap described the strike as the Hutch gang’s ‘big stand.’ McGovern replied he felt ‘sick’ over slain Kinahan associate David Byrne, adding: ‘It could have been the six of us and they could have wiped out the whole bloodline.’ He continued: ‘They wanted you. They targeted us, this is personal, on my baby’s life I’m not stopping now.’
Cap responded: ‘I am not stopping until they are all gone. We will get every single one… they are all scum.’
Escalating Feud and Criminal Operations
Detective Superintendent David Gallagher, from the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau, testified that the Kinahan and Hutch groups once collaborated on drugs, money laundering, and trafficking before a 2014 fallout sparked violence in Ireland and Spain, including a mistaken-identity shooting.
The Kinahans then killed Gary Hutch in Spain in 2015, suspecting his involvement. Gately, who carried Hutch’s coffin, became a prime target. The feud intensified post-Regency, turning more personal.
Gallagher highlighted international operations alongside the rivalry. McGovern ranked as a significant ground operative in Ireland, despite higher leaders issuing orders via pseudonyms.
Plots Against Gately and Kirwan
Messages show McGovern calling Gately a ‘weasel,’ stating: ‘All weasels get caught out in the end.’ Gately survived two attempts, including a 2017 petrol station shooting where he took five bullets.
Evidence includes encrypted Blackberry phones with PGP software for tracking Gately in Dublin and Belfast, GPS devices on his and relatives’ vehicles, and CCTV analysis.
In April 2017, Estonian hitman Imre Arakas arrived in Dublin, carrying a PGP phone and Gately intel linked to Kinahan accounts. His arrest prompted McGovern to message: ‘time to get the f*** out of here before we’re all in cuffs.’
Noel Kirwan fell victim due to perceived Hutch ties. Detective Sergeant Dolan Daly confirmed no criminal record for Kirwan, labeling him an ‘easy target’ without security. On December 22, 2016, seven shots pierced his car window post-family meal, striking him five times. Links trace to McGovern via a burner phone, vehicle tracker, and his fingerprint on setup instructions.
Sentencing Details
McGovern holds no prior convictions beyond minor traffic offenses from 2009-2011. Defence noted his mid-level status under shielded leaders. The Special Criminal Court reviewed a victim impact statement from Kirwan’s partner, Bernadette Roe. Sentencing continues Friday.
