Niall O'Connor

A DETECTIVE GARDA who was involved in investigations of the Hutch/Kinahan feud said the arrest of Daniel Kinahan in Dubai has given gardaí a sense of pride in their ten year long probe.   

Niall Hodgins, is the incoming President of the Garda Representative Association (GRA). He has served as an investigator in Dublin’s north inner city and had been involved in investigating some of the murders of Hutch family members. 

He said the intensity of the decade’s long probe has left the officers he serves with in “recovery” mode. The feud claimed the lives of at least 18 people. 

“I want to commend the Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly and his team in this particular matter. But in respect of the members that I represent in respect of this feud for near on a decade there now, clearly they take away from it a sense of pride.

“We came through a very difficult period in the guards over the last number of years. In fact I would say we’re in a state at the moment of respair, which is a recovery from a state of absolute despair in Dublin’s North inner city.

“What was required was resipiscence which is a complete change of direction from where we were before. We have hope, we look forward to what the new Garda Commissioner is going to bring and we will enjoy engaging with him,” he said. 

A leading member of the operation to target the participants of the Hutch/Kinahan feud was former Assistant Commissioner John O’Driscoll.

The ex-officer died in 2024 shortly after he retired. He led the Garda operations against the Kinahan organised crime group and other organised drug gangs in Ireland during the final years of his service. He retired in 2022 after serving as Assistant Commissioner for Special Crime Operations since 2016. 

In an emotional tribute Hodgins fought back tears and said he was sad that John O’Driscoll did not get to see the result of his work before his death. 

“I’m getting a bit choked up here because for a long number of years members in my division, for a long number of years, about 10 in total, I think it’s poignant at this stage that you recognise that you recognise the efforts of Assistant Commissioner John O’Driscoll in respect of this matter.

“He was a fantastic policeman and it’s such a shame that he wasn’t here to witness what happened last week,” he added.

Daniel Kinahan faces extradition from the United Arab Emirates on charges relating to running an organised crime group.