John O’Driscoll, the senior Garda who served for more than four decades and led operations against the Kinahan cartel in the years before his retirement just over two years ago, has died.
Paying tribute to the former assistant commissioner, the Garda Commissioner Drew Harris described him as “an outstanding member” of the force.
“Throughout his 41 years of stellar service, John worked tirelessly to protect the most vulnerable in society and was a great advocate for the power of sport, particularly boxing, in helping and supporting children from deprived areas,” Mr Harris said.
Highlighting Mr O’Driscoll’s role at the “forefront in Garda successes against organised crime” he said the work he had done “helped save lives and protect communities from the scourge of drugs.”
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Minister for Justice Helen McEntee said that “like so many people, I am very sad and shocked to hear” of Mr O’Driscoll’s sudden death.
“He served the State with integrity and distinction over the course of his 41-year career in policing,” she said. “He was a man who manifested integrity and decency, completely dedicated to public service and to serving the State to the very best of his considerable ability.
“On behalf of the government and my department, I send my deepest sympathies to John’s wife Muriel and his children, Michelle, Laura and Seán, and all his many friends and colleagues in An Garda Síochána.”
Mr O’Driscoll, was from the north side of Dublin, joined the Garda in 1981 and was assigned to Fitzgibbon Street Garda station in the north inner-city.
He went on to serve in the Garda National Immigration Bureau, Garda National Drug Unit and the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation, as well as in postings in Swinford, Co Mayo, and Rathangan, Co Kildare.
In the early days of Mr O’Driscoll’s policing career, his first significant role was to lead a new drugs unit based at Store Street station in north inner city Dublin. It was a time when aggressive street activism against heroin dealers was in full flight in an area ravaged by the drug for more than a decade.
At one highly charged public meeting, Tony Gregory, then Independent TD for Dublin Central, told the newly appointed Sgt O’Driscoll that local gardaí appeared more concerned with “arresting female street traders pushing prams” of fruit than going after big heroin dealers.
In an interview with The Irish Times in June, 2022, as he retired from his post as assistant commissioner, Mr O’Driscoll described his time on the north inner city streets as “the best time of my career”. However, he said the pursuit of the Kinahan cartel in his final years in policing “matched it” in terms of pressure and satisfaction.
Mr O’Driscoll retired in the summer of 2022 after spending over five years as Assistant Commissioner for Special Crime Operations.
[ Kinahan gang leaders Liam Byrne and Thomas Kavanagh plead guilty to UK chargesOpens in new window ]
Following the Regency Hotel Shooting in February 2016, he became the public face of the Garda’s efforts to quell the feud and dismantle the Kinahan Cartel, an international drug-smuggling group founded by Christy Kinahan and operated by his sons Daniel Kinahan and Christy Kinahan Junior.
He was one of the key figures behind lobbying the US authorities to join the major international investigation against the Kinahan cartel and to impose sanctions on the cartel leadership in 2022, just two months before his retirement.
Operations under the leadership of Mr O’Driscoll resulted in the imprisonment of many members and associates of the gang and shortly before his retirement he played a key role in garnering international support for sanctions against the Kinahan leadership which is based in Dubai.
Concluding his statement, Mr Harris said his thoughts “and the thoughts of the entire Garda organisation are with John’s wife Muriel and his children, Michelle, Laura and Seán. May he rest in peace.”
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