Breaking: ‘Kinahan lieutenant’ Sean McGovern sentenced to 24 years in prison

McGovern 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

Sean McGovern: Sentenced at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin on Monday. File picture: Garda.ie

Sean McGovern, described as a senior lieutenant in the Kinahan gang, has been sentenced to 24 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to directing the activities of a criminal organisation.

McGovern, aged 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.

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.

Afterwards, Detective Superintendent Dave Gallagher of the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB) 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."

The detective superintendent said the conviction is the result of An Garda Síochàna's determination to relentlessly pursue those that engaged in violent and threats to life. 

"I would like to acknowledge the professional and diligent work carried out by the investigators, and the support provided by our international partners, particularly those colleagues in the United Arab Emirates, as we all work in unison in our efforts to disrupt and dismantle national priority criminal organisations.

"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."