Ireland’s most notorious gangsters

With the eagerly awaited return of Love/Hate to our screens this coming Sunday evening on RTE 1, we take a look at five of Ireland’s most notorious gangsters. We are looking forward to a life in the Witness Protection Programme!

Martin Cahill

The man nicknamed ‘The General’ – initially for libel purposes – is one of Ireland’s most famous gangsters, with Brendan Gleeson starring as the Dublin criminal in the 1998 film.

Pic credit: The Sunday World

Cahill and his gang famously stole more than IR?2 million in goods from a jeweller in Harold’s Cross in 1983, forcing the closure of the store and the loss of over 100 jobs.

He was in and out of prison, but one of the most feared men in Ireland before he was shot dead in August 1994 while on bail for attempted robbery and kidnapping. It was suspected, but never confirmed, that the IRA carried out the assassination

Gerry Hutch

The man nicknamed ‘The Monk’ due his clean living and religious outlook after leaving prison in the mid 80’s, has been one of the country’s most successful bank robbers.

It is reported that his gang made upwards of IR?40 million during robbing sprees spread over eight years, while he also won a number of legal actions against the State and certain newspapers.

The Monk is well known for the fact he never got involved in the sale of drugs, actively encouraging young people in his neighbourhood to stay away from the temptations.

He now runs a limousine service, working as  a chauffeur, with the name of the service being Carry Any Body, believed to be a dig at the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB), who had been targeting the Dubliner for years, eventually reaching a settlement of over IR?1 million.

John Gilligan

Like many men that turn to a life of crime, Gilligan was born into a poor background and his father was apparently a violent alcoholic.

Gilligan formed a sophisticated crime gang in the early 90’s that was involved with illegally importing duty-free cigarettes before graduating to the sale and supply of drugs.

He was sentenced in 2001 to 30 years in jail for possession of large quantities of cannabis, which was later reduced to 20 years.

In 2002 he was tried and acquitted of the murder of journalist Veronica Guerin who had reported extensively on his drug empire.

Eamon Dunne

The Don was gunned down in front of his 17 year-old daughter in a Cabra pub in 2010, having had taken over the mantle from his ex-boss Martin Hyland when he was murdered in 2006.

Part of the newer breed of Irish criminals, Dunne was the leading figure in the Dublin drug scene up until his death and was reportedly involved with a number of gangland killings - many of which never went to trial.

Just this week a man was convicted for a robbery with Dunne that occurred five years ago; he told the courts that Dunne said he would ‘send him to God’s house’ if he didn’t co-operate.

James 'Whitey' Bulger

Whitey Bulger is Irish-American, but is well worth a mention. Anyone who has been number one on the FBI’s most wanted list for a number of years must really have been a criminal with a colourful past.

Bulger was seen as a Robin Hood-style bandit in the Boston area, but the FBI turned a blind-eye to some of his crimes as he was also working as an FBI informant.

It has since transpired that some of the officials were as corrupt as the gangster, but Bulger fled in December 1994 after a tip-off and was only discovered in June of last year.

Now 83 years of age, he is awaiting trial on allegations of 19 counts of murder, but believed to have been involved in up to three times this number