How crime boss Daniel Kinahan's looming extradition has brought violence to Dublin's leafiest southside suburbs - and as rival drug gangs bid to seize power and territory, these are the ruthless wannabe 'dons' battling to succeed him...

Published: 01:38, 1 August 2026 | Updated: 01:45, 1 August 2026 Daniel Kinahan will return to Ireland to finally face justice in the coming days – but the dismantling of the ruthless crime gang he led has created a power vacuum in the country’s underworld. Rival gangs are now battling for control in the nation’s most affluent area, which saw Ireland’s first gun murder in nearly two years, the Mail can reveal. The murder of Mark Cullen, 39, in the Kill of the Grange area of Dún Laoghaire in south Co. Dublin on July 5, shocked most locals – but not all of them. Fine Gael councillor Dan Carson told the Mail this week that gang violence had been escalating in the midst of the leafy suburbs which boast some of Ireland’s most exclusive addresses. Looking at the bigger picture, the Garda’s dismantling of the Kinahan Organised Crime Gang (KOCG) has sent shockwaves through the local drug scene in south Co. Dublin. The once–feared cartel controlled the supply of cocaine, cannabis and heroin and, through its distributors, sent it to three crime factions operating out of Loughlinstown and Ballybrack. What these factions did with it from there was their own business, security sources told the Mail. The only rules were that they bought from Kinahan–approved suppliers and stuck to their own territories. With Daniel Kinahan arrested and awaiting extradition from Dubai to Ireland, the KOCG’s influence has dissipated and created a vacuum. Those gangs still have their suppliers, but there’s now more business to be done and territory to expand into. And the race to expand brings violence. Cullen was a foot soldier for one of the Loughlinstown–based criminal outfits and had a host of criminal convictions. While his murder is believed to have been carried out by his own gang in a punishment shooting gone wrong, his bloody death is a symptom of the disease of drug proliferation across large swathes of south Co. Dublin. Cullen was shot in the leg but the bullet struck a main artery and he bled to death. Gardaí at Patrician Park, Kill Avenue, Dún Laoghaire, where Mark Cullen was shot dead The chief suspect is believed to have fled the jurisdiction. Garda drug squads in the area continue to monitor and trace local dealers, collecting intelligence on who they work for in the hope of gaining more information that would see senior gang members face arrest and, ultimately, the courts. In the case of Mark Cullen, one man was arrested shortly after his murder. However, he was released without charge and a file was sent to the DPP. His arrest came after gardaí discovered a gun in his home but he is not thought to be the one who pulled the trigger. Officers believe the criminal gang used the man, who sources described as ‘extremely vulnerable’, to stash the gun on their behalf. They then turned this information over to gardaí hoping the crime could be pinned on him, our sources explained. ‘There was a ripple effect when the Kinahans went down – the natural order of things changed,’ they said. ‘Suppliers changed and there was more scope to move into other territories. ‘Different suppliers means more drugs and more people selling, more people with debts and more dealers who get themselves in trouble, and that’s what happened to Mark Cullen. ‘One of the main theories being explored by gardaí in this case is that they wanted to plant the gun on this guy. ‘The other is they wanted to keep the gun safe for further use. Either way, it was the wrong move and showed how amateurish this crowd is.’ Amateur or not, the dangerous drug gangs continue to operate across the salubrious neighbourhoods of south Co. Dublin and sell to people in the upper–class towns of Dalkey, Killiney, Glenageary and Cabinteely. Between these areas lie ‘pockets of inequality’, according to Cllr Carson, who said he has seen what drugs have done to working–class areas that are squeezed in between some of the most affluent places in the country. Neighbourhoods such as Ballybrack, Sallynoggin and Loughlinstown are being impacted by anti–social behaviour, drug intimidation and assaults as a result of those using products sold by the neighbourhood dealers. Cllr Carson, who is in his mid–twenties, explained that, while what happened to Cullen on Kill Avenue last month was not ‘out of the blue’, violence in the area had been ramping up and it was only a matter of time until someone was killed. Standing near the murder scene, Cllr Carson said: ‘It is a brilliant area, and it’s full, for the most part, of brilliant people. ‘But the comments over the weekend of the shooting didn’t capture the issues the area is dealing with more generally, like e–scooter usage, people selling drugs on e–scooters, people selling drugs on e–bikes, and the general lawlessness that seems to have taken hold in the area, more so over the past few years, especially with the e–scooters and e–bikes. ‘They have been a catalyst for a lot of criminal activity as well.’ He continued: ‘I heard of an operation whereby you can order a bag of drugs, and a young guy comes around on an e–scooter, and he’ll just throw it up to your balcony. ‘So that’s the lengths that people are going to. ‘That’s what we’re dealing with. – drive–thru drug dealing.’ The councillor added: ‘I suppose I need to reiterate that this is a brilliant place to live and it’s full of brilliant people, but it is often said about this area, or at least there is a preconceived notion, that this is almost a perfect area with no issues. It’s not. ‘We do have pockets of inequality, and pockets of social deprivation that lead to a lot of these issues, and I’m not sure if that mentality has been factored into resource allocation. ‘We need to recognise that we have an issue in a certain area if we’re to solve the problem.’ The well–tended parks in these areas are also havens for criminal activity, Cllr Carson explained, adding that the many entrances and exits are making it ‘simple’ for criminals to avoid detection. ‘So, we have nearby Clonkeen Park,’ he said. ‘Let’s say someone is selling drugs down in Honeypark, they’re selling drugs down in South Park or Clonkeen Drive or somewhere like that, they have a very easy escape route. So we have seen an uptick, according to my constituents. ‘We have seen an uptick in issues associated with drug dealing as well, like drug–related intimidation, like assaults and drug dealers trying to protect their business by doing what they do.’ E–scooters have been the subject of much scrutiny recently, both in the press and in the Oireachtas, following the deaths of several people using the vehicles. Supporters say the battery–powered scooters offer a cheap, environmentally friendly way to travel. But critics argue they have become a serious danger on roads and footpaths. Gardaí have even advocated for an all–out ban, highlighting their use by criminal gangs, the ease with which users are able to evade gardaí and the inherent dangers of pursuits. The force even launched Operation Meacán this year to specifically target those using the vehicles for criminal purposes, be that trafficking drugs, cash or weapons. In an interview with the Mail earlier this year, Chief Superintendent Des McTiernan of the Dublin Metropolitan Region (DMR) West region said that gardaí have been carrying out proactive patrols and have started going into both primary and secondary schools to teach young people about the dangers of these vehicles. The senior garda described how young people are lured into using these modes of transport, often being enticed by the thrill of using them. He said it is often the environment they have grown up in which makes it appear more acceptable to drive them from a young age. For now at least, the ban will only extend to those under 18. Cllr Carson said gardaí should be protected from prosecution for giving chase to people illegally using scramblers, e–scooters or e–bikes. Garda Seán Shields was convicted of dangerous driving in March this year after pursuing two masked men on a scramblers in Dublin. He received a two–year driving disqualification and a €500 fine at Dublin District Court following an investigation by the Garda ombudsman, Fiosrú, though he is appealing the conviction. Cllr Carson added: ‘I’d be giving the guards tougher enforcement powers. I’ve never been a big believer in “don’t chase this person because they might fall off” either.’ He added: ‘I would actually chase these guys and if they have a bad crash, that’s on them, not the guards.’ While wanting to protect the anonymity of victims of these sorts of crimes, Cllr Carson was able to rattle off multiple incidents which have come to his attention in recent weeks. ‘I’ll give you three examples,’ he said. ‘Down in [housing estate] Honeypark, firstly, we’re having a big issue down there. ‘The guards and the residents know exactly what’s going on down there but it’s about gathering the evidence. ‘So a door was kicked in down there recently. I understand that there was drug–related activity going on down there, and a family’s door was kicked in quite late at night. ‘There was a second incident in Mackintosh Park, for example. There was some sort of altercation out on the street. ‘A couple of neighbours came outside of the house. ‘I don’t know if they were trying to defend the area generally or defend another neighbour, but someone was hit over the head with a bat and was fighting for their life in hospital for quite a few months. I’ll give you a third. ‘I recently sat in a living room with a local resident who was pleading with me to help her grandson and get him into rehab. ‘But I understand in that case that the young man, who obviously had had an issue with drugs, racked up a couple of thousand of euro worth of debt. ‘His family were, you’d say, they were under scrutiny from the drug dealers as well. ‘And again, that’s not a new phenomenon. This has always been an issue as long as drugs have been around.’ He added: ‘What I’m saying to you is that I’m seeing more and more of it. ‘There almost seems to be no honour amongst thieves when it comes to intimidating old ladies and mothers for a drug debt.’ Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.