A senior lieutenant in the Kinahan cartel has been jailed for 24 years after pleading guilty to directing the murder of one man and the attempted murder of another during the deadly Hutch-Kinahan feud.
Sean McGovern, 40, was handed a 14-year sentence for his role in the murder of Noel “Duck Egg” Kirwan in December 2016 and a consecutive 10-year term for overseeing the attempted murder of James “Mago” Gately in May 2017. The sentences, imposed by a three-judge panel at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin, were backdated to his arrest in Dubai in October 2024.
The Murder of Noel Kirwan
Mr Justice Patrick McGrath described the killing of the 62-year-old grandfather as “cruel and callous” and said he had been selected as an “easy target” after being spotted at the funeral of a member of the Hutch family. Noel Kirwan, a lifelong friend of Gerry “the Monk” Hutch, had no known involvement in crime but had been formally warned that his life was in danger shortly after Eddie Hutch Sr.’s funeral.
Encrypted messages between McGovern, who used the handle “Knife”, and a senior associate of the gang revealed they had been plotting to target Kirwan since September 2016. The court heard that McGovern directed surveillance of Kirwan by controlling a tracking device placed on the victim’s car, purchased from the UK, and passed the information to others. In one message he discussed “putting the teeth on the Duck to get his confidence back” – a reference to assigning a hitman known as “Teeth” to carry out the murder. McGovern’s DNA was later found on a laptop used to track Kirwan’s vehicle.
On the evening of the murder, Kirwan had just returned home from a meal with his partner’s family. “Within seconds of parking, at least seven shots were fired through the driver’s window of the vehicle, hitting Noel Kirwan on five occasions,” Detective Sergeant Daly told the court. The attack happened directly outside his home.
The Attempted Murder of James Gately
The judge said the plot to kill James Gately had been “minutely and carefully planned in advance”. Gately, whom the Kinahan cartel believed was involved in the 2016 Regency Hotel attack, had carried the coffin of Gary Hutch – a murder widely seen as the catalyst for the feud – and was considered part of the Hutch group.
McGovern referred to Gately as a “weasel” in encrypted communications, adding: “All weasels get caught out in the end.” Gately was shot at five times at a Dublin petrol station in May 2017 but survived – reportedly because he was wearing a bulletproof vest. The gunman in the attack, Caolan Smyth, was later jailed for 20 years for attempted murder.
The Kinahan Cartel and Its Reach
Mr Justice McGrath described the Kinahan organisation as a “particularly large, well-organised, sinister and dangerous organisation”. The cartel is considered one of the biggest organised crime groups in the world, with operations stretching across Ireland, the UK, Spain and the United Arab Emirates. Its activities include drug trafficking, money laundering, murder, arms trafficking, extortion and blackmail, with estimated wealth of around €1 billion.
The cartel was founded by Christy Kinahan Sr., known as “the Dapper Don”, who is believed to oversee property interests from the Middle East. His eldest son, Daniel Kinahan, managed day-to-day operations until his arrest in Dubai in April 2026. A younger son, Christopher Kinahan Jr., has also been sanctioned by the US government.
The Hutch-Kinahan feud erupted in 2015 after the murder of Gary Hutch in Spain and escalated dramatically with the Regency Hotel attack in February 2016, during which senior Kinahan member David Byrne was killed. McGovern himself was injured in that attack. The feud has since claimed numerous lives, the majority at the hands of the Kinahan cartel.
McGovern was described in court as a “senior trusted lieutenant” and a “significant figure in his own right” who acted as a “confidant of those in the higher echelons”. The judge said the level of trust placed in him was evident from the sensitive operations he directed. McGovern had only minor road traffic convictions before these charges.
He was arrested in Dubai in October 2024 and extradited to Ireland in May 2025, becoming the first person returned from the UAE under a new extradition agreement between the two countries. During a sentencing hearing last month, McGovern apologised for the hurt caused by his actions.
Mr Justice McGrath concluded: “Mr McGovern knew in each instance he was directing preparations for murder and did so intentionally.”
