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October 19, 2025
Alleged crime boss Daniel Kinahan has been moved to a 200-year-old maximum security prison in Ireland that once housed IRA inmates under armed guard, as he awaits what is expected to be one of the most high-profile trials in the country's history.
The 49-year-old was transferred to Portlaoise Prison after appearing before the Special Criminal Court in Dublin on Sunday night, hours after being extradited from the United Arab Emirates. The Irish government jet landed at a military airbase on the outskirts of Dublin before he was taken directly to the courthouse for a rare Sunday-night session.
Kinahan, named by the US Treasury in 2022 as one of three leaders of the Kinahan Organized Crime Group—a transnational syndicate estimated to be worth over $1 billion—faces charges of directing a criminal organization. He was remanded in custody immediately. US authorities have offered a $5 million reward for information leading to his capture, and the US Department of Justice has said it is seeking his extradition on separate charges, though no formal request has been made public.
The Special Criminal Court, which sits with three judges and no jury, was originally designed to prevent jury intimidation in terrorism cases. It remains in use for organized crime prosecutions. Kinahan's trial is expected to begin in 2026.
Inside Portlaoise Prison, Kinahan has been placed on a landing in A Block that normally holds about eight inmates but has been cleared for him alone. Sources familiar with the arrangement say the section has been fitted with a gym containing free weights, a treadmill, and a rowing machine, as well as a small library. He is expected to spend roughly 20 hours a day in his cell, with only correctional officers for contact. Meals are delivered to his cell, though he can also purchase items from the prison shop using a tuck shop account funded by family.
His daily yard time is limited to solitary exercise in a yard that is the first in an Irish prison to be topped with wire netting—a measure to prevent contraband from being thrown in. The van used to transport him to and from court is bomb and bulletproof, purchased by the Irish Prison Service specifically for this case.
Kinahan's next court appearance, either in person or via video link, is scheduled for October 5. He has already expressed little hope of bail. "I think we know I won't be getting bail, but thank you so much for explaining," he told the court during his initial appearance.
The case has drawn international attention, not least because of Kinahan's ties to professional boxing. He was the co-founder of MTK Global, a management company that once represented fighters like Tyson Fury and Carl Frampton. The company shut down in 2023 following US sanctions. Kinahan also gave a phone interview from Dubai to podcaster James English before his extradition, in which he joked about missing Irish comforts like batch bread and King crisps.
The Kinahan-Hutch feud, which erupted in Dublin in 2016 after a shooting at the Regency Hotel, has claimed multiple lives. Earlier this year, Sean McGovern, described as a "senior lieutenant" in the Kinahan gang, was sentenced to 24 years in prison for directing criminal activities related to the feud. McGovern was extradited from Dubai in May 2025, the same month Kinahan was taken into custody.
US law enforcement officials have described the Kinahan network as one of the most sophisticated drug trafficking operations in Europe, with connections to the Middle East, South America, and Asia. The use of Portlaoise Prison, a facility steeped in Ireland's history of combating paramilitary groups, underscores the level of threat the state believes Kinahan poses.
