On Friday the 5th February 2016, at approximately 2.30pm, a public event for a boxing tournament was taking place and being live-streamed at the Regency Hotel in Dublin. This event was attended by boxers, promoters and members of the public including families with children. In excess of 200 people were in the hotel. A violent firearms attack, similar to terrorist attacks that had been occurring across Europe at the time, was carried by the Hutch Organised Crime Group on the event, terrorising members of the public and everyone in attendance, with the risk of death. One person, Mr David Byrne was murdered and a number of others were injured, and fortunate to survive having sustained injuries due to the discharge of military grade assault rifles. This extreme violence attack was the catalyst to accelerate a vengeful and merciless campaign of violence between the Kinahan Organised Crime Group and the Hutch Organised Crime Group, both of which held the primary position in violent organised crime in Ireland for many decades. 18 persons were murdered as part of this feud and multiple other viable threat-to-life attempts were planned. An Garda Síochána was faced with an extraordinary task responding to Organised Criminal Gangs, who, through their murderous feud and struggle for supremacy, were threatening the safety of the public and the authority and international reputation of the State. Significant investigations were established into all of these OCG murders by local Divisional Detective Units, supported by all the resources of An Garda Síochána, local, divisional, regional and national. High-profile operations were put in place particularly in the north inner city to protect citizens and reassure the public, with recently established Armed Support Units deployed on armed checkpoints in Dublin city. An Garda Síochána’s response to this depraved attack was led by the late Assistant Commissioner John O Driscoll, head of Organised and Serious Crime. The Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau, which had only been established a year earlier in March 2015, became a key bureau in An Garda Síochána’s response to this Organised Crime Threat. The Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation has also been active in investigating serious criminal activities, particularly focused on of the Hutch Organised Crime Group. The investigation into the murder of David Byrne was led from DMR North Garda Division under the direction of the late Detective Superintendent Colm Fox. A total of 17 people have been arrested, to date, and this investigation has resulted in the conviction of 4 males in connection with this murder and a fifth male sentenced for firearms-related matters. Two other trials have taken place, resulting in an acquittal of a sixth male and charges being dropped against a seventh male. An eighth suspect who was sought on extradition proceedings to face criminal charges, subsequently died arising from a critical illness before his case came to trial. The response of An Garda Síochána to this depraved attack and subsequent events has been resourced, resourceful and relentless. • 51 interventions have taken place in threat-to-life incidents • 70 firearms seized • 4,376 rounds of ammunition seized • €31.8 million controlled drugs seized • €11.1 million cash seized An Garda Síochána has successfully prosecuted 98 associates of the Hutch Organised Crime Group and the Kinahan Organised Crime Group before the courts for offences: • 19 murder-related • 25 attempted murder-related • 21 firearms • 22 drug trafficking • 21 money laundering 15 of the persons convicted are associated with the Hutch Organised Crime Group. 83 of the persons convicted are associated with the Kinahan Organised Crime Group. Further prosecution files are currently under consideration by the Director of Public Prosecutions and others are before the courts. An Garda Síochána also continues to work with law enforcement partners in the United States, United Kingdom and across Europe, including as part of the unprecedented combined international effort to disrupt and dismantle the Kinahan Organised Crime Group as outlined at a joint media briefing "Cooperating at an International Level in Protecting Communities from Organised and Serious Crime” in Dublin in April 2022. This international briefing included senior representatives from the US Department of State, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the US Department of the Treasury, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Customs and Border Protection, the UK’s National Crime Agency, Europol and An Garda Síochána, including its Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau. An Garda Síochána has developed and strengthened the Garda Liaison Officer Network across Europe, the Americas and the Middle East. An Garda Síochána also works closely with and are integral partners in law enforcement agencies such Europol, INTERPOL and MAOC-N. 10 years after the depraved attack by the Hutch Organised crime Group at the Regency Hotel Ireland’s law enforcement actions have resulted in there being no organised crime firearms murders during 2025 for the first year in modern times. This is unprecedented and contrary to the recent experiences of countries across Europe. Ireland remains ranked as no number 2 in the Global Peace Index out of 163 independent states and territories, after Iceland and ahead of New Zealand, Austria and Switzerland. Ireland continues to be ranked in the top 10 countries in the Global Peace Index for most peaceful Societal Safety and Security Domain. In 2016, Ireland was ranked at number 12. Speaking on the 10th Anniversary of the depraved attack at the Regency Hotel, Assistant Commissioner Angela Willis, Organised and Serious Crime said: "In 2016 the attack at the Regency Hotel by the Hutch Organised Crime Group was not just an attack on a sporting event and the murder of David Byrne but an attack on our State and an affront to all right-minded and peaceful citizens. "An Garda Síochána responded to that murderous outrage with a sustained and relentless campaign to disrupt, degrade and dismantle the Hutch and Kinahan criminal organisations and their criminal activity. "In 2026 An Garda Síochána remains committed to protecting our State and targeting Criminal Organised Crime Groups operating nationally and internationally whose criminal activity impacts not just on communities in Ireland, but across the UK and Europe.” | 