DANIEL KINAHAN HAS appeared before a court in Dublin.

Kinahan (49) is charged with directing the activities of a criminal organisation between 18 October 2015 and 6 April 2017.

Wearing glasses and a dark jumper, Kinahan, who appeared via video link, said he could hear and see the court.

A defence barrister told the court that solicitor Darragh Mackin from Phoenix Law wanted to come on record as the legal representative for Kinahan.

Mackin did not attend the court because of unexpected circumstances.

Kinahan, alleged to be a leader of the Kinahan organised crime group, was arrested in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on 15 April on foot of an arrest warrant issued by the Irish courts.

Kinahan was extradited to Ireland from the UAE on 9 July. He was flown to Casement Aerodrome on board the government jet, the Dassault Falcon 6X.

After being brought to the Central Criminal Courts in Dublin with a heavy police escort, he was charged the same day at the Special Criminal Court with a single count of directing an organised crime group between 2015 and 2017.

Kinahan spoke during the hearing in August, and said that he was unable to get legal representation as he was “taken and isolated” by gardaí in Dubai and was unable to contact his family members to organise a solicitor.

The hearing today lasted a few minutes.

With reporting by PA