In recent months, Dublin’s criminal underworld has experienced two brutal spates of violence that have resulted in the deaths of Tristan Sherry, Jason Hennessy, and most recently Josh Itseli. These abrupt violent outbursts disrupt a time of seeming tranquillity achieved after the Kinahan-Hutch rivalry had been subdued about half a decade prior.
The emergence of new disputes, particularly involving young men, is fuelling fears that another cycle of gang-related violence has already initiated, shifting into what some may term as the post-Kinahan phase. It is noteworthy to mention that some individuals now showcasing dangerous potential in these Dublin disputes were as young as 10 and 11 when the Kinahan-Hutch feud initially erupted.
Interestingly, while the investigation of Itseli’s murder was in its initial phase in Drimnagh, a separate significant Garda operation was simultaneously unfolding in Corduff, west Dublin. Here, police were dealing with a gang involved in a feud over the murders of Hennessy (48 yrs old) from Corduff, and Sherry (26 yrs old) from Finglas. Their gruesome killings occurred in a Blanchardstown restaurant on Christmas Eve.
During the Corduff operation, a sawn-off shotgun, along with cocaine and cannabis worth nearly €120,000, was confiscated. Earlier in February, a loaded firearm was seized by gardaí who suspected it was intended for use in a gang feud.
Specialist detectives combating organised crime in Dublin express the dire need for a long-term strategy to manage the conflict born from Hennessy’s murder by Sherry, who was immediately subdued and killed at the scene.
A similar scenario is anticipated following the death of Itseli in the early hours of this past Monday. Figuring out exactly how he was killed and who was responsible for landing the fatal blow is complex.
Itseli, a minor drug dealer of Irish nationality born to immigrants from the Democratic Republic of Congo, was associated with a volatile south central Dublin drug gang. It’s suspected by the Gardaí that he and several criminal accomplices went to Drimnagh with the intent of attacking another gang with a pipe bomb.
The other gang intercepted them on Knocknarea Rd, resulting in a head-on car collision initiated by the opposing side. Shots were fired from an AR15 semi-automatic rifle, causing fatal injuries to Itseli. It is suspected that his own associates may have mistakenly caused his demise as their mission went awry.
Members of the adversary group vacated the scene. Given the past record of Itseli’s allies – who were apprehended post the violent incident but later discharged without any charges being pressed – there are grave concerns of a potential retaliatory attack planned by them.
Simultaneously, a perilous circumstance unfolds in Finglas, North Dublin, as a feud between rival fractions took the life of James Whelan, aged 29. The tensions between Whelan’s associates and a rival group steered by a notorious young gang leader continue to worry the gardai, even two years post Whelan’s murder.
However, law enforcement sources have noted a decline in gang-related killings in recent years, with one or two murders annually in place of the 15 to 20 observed during the Celtic Tiger era.
For the most part, there have been two particularly dark phases in the Republic, mostly based in Dublin, where gang rivalries peaked. From 2000 to 2010, an unmatched number of drug-related shootings were recorded. The Republic’s rising prosperity from the late ’90s into the ’00s led to a surge in drug demand, further driven by the availability of disposable income. This growth in the drug trade, powered by first-time widespread demand for cocaine in the country, resulted in a spike in drug-related shootings as young male groups battled for supremacy in the cocaine market.
A source from Gardai referred to a significant crowd – a new generation of young men who dabbled in the cocaine business – as the market saw momentous expansion. Owing to their youth, much of their criminal activities, including fatal shooting, were unpredictable and extreme.
However, as this generation progressed and the economy took a downturn, the frequency of feuding reduced. This phase was succeeded by the pronounced Kinahan-Hutch feud that took place between 2015 and 2018.
Although the notorious feud between Kinahan and Hutch, which claimed 18 lives, has long since calmed down, there have been ongoing intricate shifts within organised crime. Following the recovery of the drug trade after the Celtic Tiger debacle, it is once again flourishing. Nevertheless, the overall statistics for firearms offences across the Republic are notably low.
Last year saw 5,065 recorded instances of drug dealing i.e. “having narcotics with an intent to distribute”, a figure only once beaten since 2003. Concomitantly, the rate of gun crime has seen a more than 50% reductionWithin that same period. For instance, there were 86 illegal “firearm discharge” incidents last year as compared to the 331 cases during its 2007 peak. The crime of illegally “possessing a firearm” saw 189 cases last year, which is far off from its 2008 peak of 452 recorded incidents.
So, with such a significant decrease in gun crimes, why are the police particularly apprehensive about Dublin’s brewing disputes?
One seasoned detective expressed concern over a potentially escalating feud that might trigger multiple homicides in a short time, reminding us of darker days. The detective also pointed out that the individuals involved in these feuds are usually teenagers or individuals in their early twenties — an age group known for their recklessness.
Other officers highlighted a substantial shift in the dynamics of the drug trade, particularly in Dublin, over the past five years. The feud between Kinahan and Hutch resulted in a police operation that effectively dismantled the “Byrne organised crime group”, headquartered in Crumlin and managed the Irish operations of the Kinahan cartel.
With those convicted for the Kinahan-Hutch feud crimes now completing their sentences and being released from Irish prisons, their old network—the Byrne gang—is still broken in Ireland.
“Crime is in a continual state of flux,” noted one local law enforcement source well-versed in the Dublin gang landscape. “Individuals are constantly being incarcerated, or facing fatal violence, and there’s always a younger contender eager to rise through the ranks. The Kinahans continue to flood Ireland with drugs, but their once solid infrastructure on the island has dissolved. This has presented an opening for other criminals to fill.”
Many law enforcement officers maintain that the assertive Garda response to organised crime, following the Kinahan-Hutch dispute, with particular emphasis on the 2016 Regency Hotel incident, persuaded other gangs to steer clear of feuding. The theory suggests the meticulously planned and executed takedown of the Byrne organisation within the republic was so comprehensive, it struck fear into other drug gangs who hesitated to engage in firearms-related crimes for fear of attracting similar scrutiny from the Garda. This could potentially shed light on the seemingly conflicting trends of a booming drug trade while firearms offences remain low.
However, for youngsters like Itseli, who was just 11 during the Regency Hotel attack, the lessons of the past decade seem to have fallen on deaf ears due to their youth.
“Several stolen cars were found wrecked at the scene [in Drimnagh last Monday morning], with young lads wearing bullet-proof vests and an AR-15 [semi-automatic rifle]… This is serious business; some of these young individuals are locked and loaded.”