An Garda Síochána have warned criminals there are “no untouchables” after a “senior lieutenant” in the Kinahan organised crime gang was 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 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.
Reacting to the sentence, Kirwan’s children said it would not bring their father back and asked: “Was it really worth it, Sean?”
McGovern had been extradited from the United Arab Emirates to face the charges.
At the non-jury 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.
Mr McGovern knew in each instance he was directing preparations for murder and did so intentionally
The court had previously heard there was no evidence Kirwan was involved in any criminality and had been targeted over a perceived connection to the rival Hutch organised crime group (OCG), as he had been photographed at a funeral of a Hutch family member.
Gardaí said McGovern had a role in the lead-up to the murder of Kirwan, linking him to activity through evidence relating to a tracker on Kirwan’s car and mobile phone calls around the time of his shooting.
The court had also been told of McGovern’s involvement in the surveillance of Gately, with An Garda Síochána coming to the view that the Kinahan gang believed he was one of the gunmen of the 2016 Regency Hotel Shooting in which the defendant was shot and another man was killed.
The shooting of Gately did not happen after a hitman hired from Estonia was arrested after he arrived in Ireland.
The court was also told that McGovern was a “senior lieutenant” who was “three tiers” down in the Kinahan OCG.
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 Gately and 14 years for his role in the lead-up to the killing of Kirwan.
Mr Justice McGrath said the evidence had 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 structure and nature.
Mr Justice McGrath said: “Mr McGovern knew in each instance he was directing preparations for murder and did so intentionally.”
McGovern, wearing a white shirt and navy cardigan, was present but did not speak during the proceedings.
The court was told in a previous hearing in May that he wanted to apologise for the hurt caused as a consequence of his actions.
Kirwan’s son, Kristopher, accompanied by his sister, Donna, spoke to reporters after the sentencing.
He accused McGovern of showing “cruelty” and “complete disregard for human life” – leaving the Kirwan family with “devastation”.
Speaking alongside his sister, he thanked all those involved in the investigation but said the sentencing would not undo the loss and trauma they felt.
“Our dad was our safety net – a hardworking family man who spent our whole lives working two jobs, so we would never go without.
“He was all we had. Our home, and his arms (were) always open to anyone who needed help.”
He added: “The values he lived by: love, sacrifice, and generosity; are the foundation he left behind.”
Referencing McGovern, Kristopher Kirwan said: “It’s heartbreaking to think that a man who has two children of his own, a man who himself survived being shot in the Regency Hotel, could go on inflict such pain and torment on any other family.
“He watched and tracked our dad for nine long months with countless chances to walk away, to change his mind, and to choose a different path – but he didn’t.
“He and his partner flew the country shortly after and, in doing so, lost a chance to stand at his own dad’s funeral.
“Was it really worth it, Sean?”
Also speaking after the sentencing, an investigator with the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau said it should be a “lesson to those who glorify organised crime and promote it as a way of life”
Detective Superintendent Dave Gallagher said: “The sentencing today of Sean McGovern is significant in holding to account a key person who was engaged in directing the activities of a violent criminal organisation engaged in a campaign of ruthless murder and violence which impacted so negatively on our communities and Ireland’s national reputation.
“I wish to pay tribute to the Kirwan family whose innocent father, Noel, was brutally murdered, for no other reason except to portray power in the criminal underworld, by Sean McGovern, working with and directing others, who believed they were untouchable.”
Gallagher added: “Let the conviction and sentence of Mr McGovern today be a lesson to those who glorify organised crime and promote it as a way of life.
“There are no untouchables, and law enforcement is committed to the pursuit and prosecution of those who are the leaders, the decision makers and the facilitators.”
