A man described as a “senior lieutenant” in the Kinahan organised crime gang has been sentenced to 24 years in prison at a Dublin court.
Sean McGovern, 40, pleaded guilty to two charges of directing the activities of a criminal organisation relating to the deadly Hutch-Kinahan gangland feud in Ireland in which he was shot.
The charges relate to his involvement in the lead-up to the murder of Noel Kirwan, a grandfather who was shot dead in December 2016, and the targeting and monitoring of James Gately with a view to having him shot dead, which did not take place.
A sentencing hearing for McGovern in May heard that he wanted to apologise for the hurt as a consequence of his actions.
He had been extradited from the United Arab Emirates to face the charges.
At the Special Criminal Court in Dublin on Monday, the three-judge panel sentenced him to 24 years – backdated to his arrest in Dubai in October 2024.
After considering mitigating factors including an early plea, Mr Justice Patrick McGrath said the sentences for the separate offences should run consecutively.
McGovern was sentenced to 10 years for his role in directing activities relating to the planned murder of Mr Gately and 14 years for his role in the lead-up to the killing of Mr Kirwan.
Mr Justice McGrath said the established that McGovern was a senior member of the Kinahan gang, who was a “confidant of those in the higher echelons” in the organisation who placed a “high degree of trust and competence” in him.”
The judge said that the Kinahan gang was a “particularly large, well-organised sinister and dangerous organisation”.
He said the court had no doubt that McGovern, holding a relatively senior position of the gang, was fully aware of its identity, structure and nature.
Mr Justice McGrath said: “Mr McGovern knew in each instance he was directing preparations for murder and did so intentionally.”
