Sean McGovern charged with murder and gangland offences after Dubai extradition

Sean McGovern made no reply when he was formally charged with murder and four gangland offences in a Dublin court on Thursday night.
Mr McGovern, 39, spoke only once to confirm his identity during a 15-minute hearing at the non-jury Special Criminal Court.
'Yes,' he replied when he was asked if he was Sean McGovern.
Wearing a grey T-shirt, grey sweatpants, white socks and black sliders, Mr McGovern stood as the charges were read out to him.
He then sat back down in the dock without comment after the charges were put to him.
He is charged with the murder of Christoper, aka Noel, Kirwan at St Ronan's Drive in Clondalkin in west Dublin on December 22, 2016.
Mr Kirwan, 62, was shot dead in the driveway of his home. He was targeted by the Kinahan cartel after he was spotted with Gerry 'the Monk' Hutch at the funeral of his brother Eddie Hutch in Dublin in February 2016.
Mr McGovern, who appears to have shaved his head, is also charged with four gangland offences.
It is alleged that between October 20, 2016 and December 22, 2016, he directed the activities of the criminal gang that murdered Mr Kirwan. It is also alleged that between the same dates he facilitated the crime gang's murder of Mr Kirwan.
He faces a further two charges in relation to a murder attempt on James 'Maggo' Gately, 36, a leading figure in the Hutch organised crime gang.
It is alleged that between October 17, 2015 and April 6, 2017, he directed a criminal organisation in relation to the monitoring of the activity of Mr Gately.
It is further alleged that between the same dates, he facilitated a conspiracy to murder Mr Gately.
Earlier, Detective Sergeant Donal O'Daly of the Garda Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau told the three judges - Karen O'Connor, Elma Sheahan and Grainne Malone – that he arrested Mr McGovern at 6.38pm at Casement Aerodrome in Baldonnel, south Dublin, the HQ of the Air Corps.
Mr McGovern had moments earlier landed there in an Air Corps Casa C295 plane that brought him from Dubai on Wednesday evening.
McGovern, alleged to be the right-hand man of mob boss Daniel Kinahan, 48, had been in custody in the desert city since October last year. His extradition followed a request by Irish authorities.
Detective Sergeant O'Daly said he charged McGovern with all five offences in the precincts of Criminal Courts of Justice complex, where the Special Criminal Court is based, at 7.27pm.
He also said he handed Mr McGovern a true copy of the charges and that he read over the charges to him in ordinary language.
McGovern had arrived at the CCJ at 7.11pm – under tight Garda security. He entered the court at 7.40pm, 13 minutes after he was charged.
The court heard that the Director of Public Prosecutions had directed the case be heard at the Special Criminal Court, which has no jury.
Defence barrister Olan Callanan BL told the court that he was reserving his position on the lawfulness of the arrest of Mr McGovern and the jurisdiction of the Special Criminal Court.
There was no bail application.
Mr Callanan requested that the case be remanded to June 5, via video link from Portlaoise Prison. McGovern was then remanded in custody to Portlaoise Prison to June 5.

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Sunday World

12 minutes ago

• Sunday World

Loyalist cousin of Shankill Butcher leading far-right protests in Dublin and Limerick

Cousin of notorious Shankill Butcher seen at front of anti-immigration rallies in Dublin and Limerick A loyalist ex-prisoner and cousin of a notorious Shankill Butchers cut-throat killer is leading Irish far-right protests, the Sunday World can reveal. Convicted armed robber Mark Sinclair – a one-time UVF thug from the hardline loyalist Shankill area of Belfast – has been seen recently leading anti-immigrant protest rallies in Dublin and Limerick. But the Sunday World can reveal that Sinclair is a diehard loyalist who served 17 years in prison. He is also the cousin of Billy Moore, the feared knife-killer deputy to Shankill Butchers boss Lenny Murphy, whose gang roamed the city for years, picking up innocent Catholics before mutilating and murdering them. Mark Sinclair on the march Sinclair used his YouTube channel 'Freedom Dad' to voice strong support for the protests in the Republic and, by his own admission, he was welcomed with 'open arms' by the 'Limerick Says No' campaign last week. And by way of reassuring his concerned loyalist mates back in Belfast, Sinclair later said of his new-found friends: 'Not every one of them wants a united Ireland. I very rarely hear it.' But last night, Malachy Steenson – organiser of the Dublin protest – distanced himself from the former UVF man. He told the Sunday World: 'I have no connection to Sinclair. And I only learned he was at the protest, when I was told by the media. Now, you have to wonder how some of the southern journos even recognised him?' At anti-immigration protest in Limerick last weekend, the former UVF man told viewers on his YouTube channel: 'Times have changed. You don't hear so much about it these days. As you know, we're not giving anything up. The six counties belong to us. 'I don't know how long it's going to belong to Britain, but it will always belong to us, the Ulstermen and women in Northern Ireland. 'I'm trying to come across as honest and transparent. I'm not coming down here pretending to be this or that. I'm an Ulsterman and I'm proud to be an Ulsterman. 'But I like the Irish. I think it's an amazing part of the world. And not all of them want an all-Ireland. I very rarely hear it. Even 'Tiocfaidh ár lá – it's just Irish for 'our day will come'. Loyalist Mark Sinclair making a live YouTube broadcast at an anti-immigrant protest in Limerick last week . 'It's like 'slán go fóill a chara' – see you later my friend – it's just a foreign language. And I know some people won't like that. 'But it's just like France or Spanish. I wouldn't get too hung up on it,' said Sinclair. But he devoted most of his vitriol to immigrants and refugees who have come to Ireland. Said Sinclair. 'I'm going to talk with some friends to see how we can stop these men coming from Ireland into Northern Ireland. 'We need to stand up as men and women, Protestants and Catholics. We need to stop these men coming in from Ireland or England,' he said. He added: 'I'm Freedom Dad and God bless every single one of you.' But what Sinclair failed to disclose as he mingled with activists during his whistle-stop trip south of the border, was that he once shared a house with his close relative, the notorious Shankill Butcher Billy Moore. And it was from Moore's flat on the outskirts of Edinburgh that Sinclair was scooped by Scottish cops over a series of armed bank robberies on the west coast. Police confirmed a dozen people had been arrested during the raid on suspicion of assault, kidnap and extortion. Sinclair told the High Court in Ayr that he had been hired by the British Secret Service to spy on loyalist terrorists in Scotland. And he also said he was paid £50,000 each time he met his handler. Despite his claims, the trial judge sentenced him to 17 years in jail. Sinclair led a gang of Belfast-born desperadoes behind a spate of bank robberies on the west coast of Scotland, while the were based in Moore's flat on the outskirts of Edinburgh. Soon the flat became known to police as a 24 hours-a-day drugs and drink den. A victim of the Shankill Butchers Sinclair – who was in his mid-20s – established himself as the leader of an armed robbery outfit. And in an effort to throw the cops off their scent, Sinclair's robbery squad targeted Clydsdale Banks on the west coast, because rural banking halls had less security than normal. Sinclair wore a mask to cover his face and he brandished a hand gun during robberies at three banks, putting staff into a state of sheer panic. But after armed Scottish detectives raided Moore's flat, Sinclair was arrested along with two associates and charged with several bank robberies. Cutthroat killer William Moore And in October 2003 at the High Court in Ayr, he was found guilty of robbing banks in Troon and Stewarton in Ayrshire and Dalbeattie in Dumfries and Galloway. He was also found not guilty of robbing another two banks in Ayrshire. In the mid-1970s, the names Lenny Murphy and Billy Moore struck fear into the hearts of Catholics in north and west Belfast. When Murphy was jailed on other charges, Moore succeeded him as the main cut-throat killer in the UVF murder gang. At that time, the Shankill Butchers stalked the near empty streets of inner city Belfast, looking for victims. But despite being the leader, Lenny Murphy never stood trial for the Butchers Gang crimes. During a major criminal trial he was simply referred to as 'Mr. X' . But on November 16 1982 – shortly after his release from prison on arms charges – Murphy was ambushed and machine-gunned to death by IRA serial killer, Gerard 'Hucker' Moyna as he pulled up in a car outside his girlfriend's house in Glencairn. The IRA had received inside information on Murphy's movements from leading UDA extortionist Jimmy Craig, as part of an insurance policy to prevent the IRA from killing him. On May 17, 2009, Billy Moore died aged 60 of a suspected heart attack at his home in the loyalist Mount Vernon estate, off Belfast's Shore Road. A short time before, Moore had appeared in court charged with stealing scrap metal from the Belfast Harbour estate. But after Moore pleaded guilty to carrying out 11 of the 19 Shankill Butchers murders, Mr Justice Turlough O'Donnell told him: 'You Moore, pleaded guilty to 11 murders carried out in a manner so cruel and revolting, as to be beyond the comprehension of any normal human being.' And he pointedly added: 'I am satisfied that without you, many of the murders would not have been committed.' Addressing Moore and Robert 'Basher' Bates – another member of the Butcher gang who was involved in 14 murders – Judge O'Donnell told them: 'I see no reason whatever – apart from terminal illness – why either of you should ever be released.' During police interrogation, Moore collapsed in floods of tears and he asked detectives: 'Did I really do these things?' He received 11 life sentences, but as he was led from the dock he smiled and waved to supporters in the public gallery. Loyalist Mark Sinclair making a live YouTube broadcast at an anti-immigrant protest in Limerick last week News in 90 Seconds - June 22nd But Moore's swagger belied the fact that two years before, following his arrest, the knife killer had begged the police to get him a deal to serve his sentence outside Northern Ireland, in return for him telling them everything they needed to know about the Shankill Butchers gang. Moore confessed to committing 11 murders and involvement in another seven. And he also named all of his accomplices. But under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement, Moore was released after spending 18 years behind bars.

RTÉ News​

37 minutes ago

• RTÉ News​

How secure is your banking app?

Mobile banking is one of the most popular internet activities in Ireland. During the first six months of last year, 87% of internet users used internet banking or mobile banking, according to the Central Statistics Office. This trend tells us that many people now use their phones to manage their accounts and make payments. But fraudulent payments are a growing concern in Europe, especially in the rapidly evolving digital marketplace. Earlier this year, the Central Bank of Ireland published a new Behind the Data (BTD) paper on Irish payment fraud statistics. However, there are no stats to identify how many scams or frauds happen specially through interactions with apps. Head of Financial Crime with Banking and Payments Federation Ireland (BPFI) Niamh Davenport warns that app scams usually happen because a phone or device has been hacked. "Everyone thinks they're banking app scams, it's generally your phone that has been compromised rather than the app itself," said Ms Davenport. "Summer last year is probably the first time we really saw app scams come into force and they're still low volume in Ireland from what members are telling us, but they're only going to increase," she said. In March, the BPFI hosted the first Cross-Sector Anti-Fraud Forum which was established as a key action under the Department of Finance's National Payments Strategy. BPFI will chair the Forum for the initial period of two and half years and work with industry partners, the Government and An Garda Siochana to ensure a robust framework for fraud prevention, detection, and disruption. How secure are banking apps? Biometric logins, such as facial recognition, are becoming increasingly common within mobile banking apps to ensure they are secure. Our banking apps are "in general" secure, according to independent expert and Chief Technical Officer at Wayne Morgan. "Most banking apps have to undergo diligent tests and ongoing tests for the security vulnerabilities. So, in general, yes, I would say banking apps are secure," said Mr Morgan. He advises users to adopt a trust nothing and check everything attitude when it comes to keeping your personal information safe. "Cyber security and your approach to security starts the moment you sit in a chair or turn on your device," said Mr Morgan. "It's not good enough to action after the fact, you have to be diligent from the moment you pick up your device," he said. What are the main risks of banking apps as a consumer? They include phishing attacks, malware, fake apps or rogue apps or spoof apps; people reusing credentials in their banking that they would use in multiple other places; and man in the middle attack (MITM). MITM attackers sometimes create their own malicious public wifi networks to lure unsuspecting users and harvest their personal data. The attacker places themselves between a user and the app or website to eavesdrop on the communication. This can be done through a piece of software installed on a phone, tablet or computer and the attackers uses it to steal or manipulate information. This is why it is important not to use the same password for multiple accounts, as it makes it easier for attackers to compile more of your personal information. "People have a habit of using a password that's easy to remember. It could be a family member's name, an anniversary, the name of a pet," said Mr Morgan. "They will reuse that password across the spread of their apps, it could be their Facebook or Instagram, their banking, it could be many, many things, and reusing the password is definitely something we would advise against." Is technology or human error more susceptible to fraudsters? Typically, human error is the main path to a breach. Phishing and smishing are the most common attacks used by fraudsters to socially engineer customers into giving away their credentials. When downloading any apps, consumers should only use the official Apple and Android app stores. BPFI's Niamh Davenport warns that fraudsters are targeting people directly, and consumers need to take extra steps to check the legitimacy of an app. "We just click on things so quickly or we trust information that's put in front of us so easily. Irish people would have questioned everything, and I think we've just become a very trusting nation and just take everything at face value on particular when it comes to social media," she said. In an effort to tackle text scams the Communications Regulator has developed an SMS Sender ID system. From 3 July this year, unregistered SMS Sender IDs will be modified to "Likely Scam" to alert the recipient to be cautious of the content of those text messages. While from 3 October 2025, text messages from unregistered SMS Sender IDs will be blocked. What happens if you download a fake banking app? Fraudsters can trick people into sharing their logins and sensitive financial information with fake banking apps that imitate legitimate mobile banking. However, any fake app that is downloaded inadvertently through unofficial links or phishing websites poses a threat to the security of your information. And the fraudsters can play the long game, as you will have no idea that they have access to your phone or device. By installing an app from an untrusted source, there is the same risk as an email breach. The hackers can install a Trojan piece of software, and somebody will be sitting with full uninterrupted access to the device; and they'll just sit there. "It could be for days, for weeks, months, monitoring the traffic, waiting for the opportunity of you to use your banking app and enter your password," said Mr Morgan. "If you have two factor authentication, they will be sitting there waiting for the access code or token from your two-factor authentication session to go across," he said. "They would then use that token to gain access to your banking app. These things are a long game, they're not necessarily good in the short term, so diligence over time is critical," he explained. If a device is hacked in this way, deleting the fake app is unlikely to solve the problem. The initial piece of Trojan software that was installed is likely to install something else in the background such as a port or access path to a third party to access the device and the user's information. How are the banks in Ireland working to protect banking app customers? The EU is working on a new legislative framework the Payment Services Regulation (PSR) as well as a third Payment Services Directive (PSD). Both aim to modernise payment services, enhance consumer protection, and promote competition in the payments market. Banks in Ireland are not automatically liable for losses due to scams, but it is likely they will investigate the incident and could potentially refund the customer. This will depend on the type of scam or unauthorised payment, if the customer promptly reported the incident and a bank's own policy regarding scam refunds. Banks also have a range of security measures from the app itself being security protected, to one of the bigger ones which is transaction monitoring and its own internal systems. Here is a look at six of the top banking apps used in Ireland. AIB said its mobile banking service provides the highest level of industry standard security. The bank has 2.2 million active users on its digital channels and said it is continuously making significant investments to enhance its fraud monitoring systems. In the bank's 2024-2026 strategic update it included spending of around €300m per year period to ensure a "future fit" platform, but did not give a specific breakdown on spending on the app. AIB Head of Financial Crime, Mary McHale, noted the ongoing investment is to enhance cyber security protection and broaden the range of mobile payments capability, while adhering to new and emerging regulation. "We released 'Selfie Check' which uses facial biometrics to verify a customer's identity via our AIB Mobile app, using the latest technology to recognise the things that make a customer's face unique, so we know it's you in control of your money", Ms McHale said. "In the event of a customer mislaying their card, they can put a temporary freeze on it through the mobile app, on our internet banking service, or through the kiosk in our branch. There is the ability to unfreeze the card if found, which can then be used again as normal," she said. AIB said it cannot comment on individual customer cases, however it noted that when a customer initiates and authorises a payment that they later realise was fraudulent, they advise them to report it to the Gardaí and to them as soon as possible to give them the best chance of retrieving the payment. It added that once a fraudulent payment is reported to them, they can then report the fraud to the receiving bank and request for the funds to be returned, unfortunately in some cases it may be too late. Revolut Digital finance Provider Revolut is a fully licensed bank in 30 EEA countries, including Ireland where it has three million customers. It is authorised by the European Central Bank and regulated by the Bank of Lithuania. Revolut said that in 2024 alone it prevented approximately €750m in potential fraud against its customers. It said it continually enhances the app's security features, this year launching in-app calls to help customers quickly expose impersonation scams, as well as implementing real-time AI fraud detection systems, transaction limits, biometric authentication requirements, and providing educational resources to help consumers remain informed about potential risks. The Revolut app security features include strict identity checks, biometric security, a dedicated control centre where customers can personalise their security settings across more than 10 features, complete card control (a customer's physical card must be activated in their app), Wealth Protection (an additional layer of biometric security), in-app calls, and 24/7 customer support. A Revolut spokesperson said: "Our financial crime experts, who now make up more than a third of our 10,000-strong workforce, are continuously innovating to stay one step ahead of scammers, implementing real-time AI fraud detection systems, transaction limits, biometric authentication requirements, and providing educational resources. This thereby ensures that our customers are increasingly less exposed to the industry-wide risk of fraud." Bank of Ireland Bank of Ireland said the standard for security measures is set by the PSD 2 Regulation and the regulatory technical standards. A dedicated team of around 200 people are employed by the bank to work 24/7 to address fraud attempts. Last year Bank of Ireland announced an investment of €50m in customer fraud prevention and protection, with €15m specifically allocated to new fraud prevention technology. The investment includes implementing voice biometric technology and enhancing self-service features on the mobile app. The bank operates device monitoring with a range fraud measures across the Bank of Ireland app and online channels, including fraud detection tools across customer activity, payment limits, effective warnings, strong customer authentication, in-channel messaging, and push notifications. Head of Fraud at Bank of Ireland, Nicola Sadlier, said where they have a suspicion, they will reach out to a customer by text or phone call. "Essentially that team is working 24/7 to manage alerts, reach out to customers and attempt to stop any fraud either on our channel or whether a customer's being caught up unknown to themselves," she said. If an app scam is reported the bank will investigate fully and report it to the Gardai unless the customer has already done so. Bank of Ireland said it may have to get on to beneficiary banks to look to recover funds and will keep customers informed at all stages of the investigation. As member of the BPFI working groups, industry forums, and the Cyber Defence Alliance, Ms Sadlier said understanding what other banks are experiencing is a key focus area. "The UK often start experiencing fraud attacks ahead of us, it's really important that we share trend information and learn what's happening and to get ready and respond," she said. An Post An Post is continually focused on ensuring that its An Post Money app is secure by constantly enhancing it based on market intelligence and its own fraud experiences and systems monitoring. Product Management Consultant at An Post, Bruce Richardson, said they have not seen a rise in app fraud among its customers. He credits this with An Post's back-end security measures and educating customers, including the Fraud "Stop & Think" notifications in the app. "The weakest point is the customer because we're socially engineered to believe if somebody phones you and says they're from the fraud department or whoever it might be, we're socially conditioned to accept that," said Mr Richardson. "Also the fraudsters have become more clever about how they do it, people think they're going to phone up and ask for your bank details but they've already done that they already have your information, they're only looking normally for that verification code that will be sent to your mobile device and that's the piece that they really want," he stated. One feature that An Post credits with being instrumental in protecting customers is its Dynamic CVV. This is a security feature that replaces the static three-digit CVV number on the back of your debit card with a new, one-time-use code generated within the An Post Money app for each online purchase. This measure makes the CVV number useless to fraudsters after it's been used. "The fraudsters buy databases of card details off the dark web but the key piece that they don't have then is the CVV, and then because it changes every five minutes on the app it has been a key part for us to help curtail the fraudulent activity from a numbers perspective, he added. N26 German online bank N26 operates primarily through a mobile app and is a fully licenced digital bank. It is in operation in multiple countries across Europe, including Ireland. Governed by the same regulations as all traditional banks, N26 adheres to strict regulations on security, compliance, and financial crime prevention. It said it uses state-of-the-art systems to ensure its app is highly secure, to stay ahead of fraudsters and eliminate possible human error. The key security processes it uses are the "Know-Your-Customer" process which verifies a customer's identity and confirms that they are who they claim to be. N26 also carries out ongoing transaction monitoring to detect suspicious activity, and reauthentication which protects against identity and password theft. The secure features include but are not limited to a single paired device, two factor authentication, fingerprint and facial recognition, instant notifications, in-app card locking and pin change, location tracking and smart payment blocks The current trends the digital bank has identified in the last two years following reports by N26users in Europe are: - Authorised Push Payment (APP) fraud, where malicious actors convince victims to authorize payments themselves - digital wallet fraud, where criminals link users' cards to wallets to make unauthorised transactions - marketplace scams - where fraudsters entice customers with attractive offers for goods that never are received - postal fraud - which typically contain phishing messages to obtain sensitive customer information PTSB PTSB said it has robust security and fraud protection features in-built in its app to provide customers with a safe and convenient channel to meet their banking needs on the go. In a global banking first, the bank introduced "PTSB Protect", a feature to its mobile app which helps prevent customers falling victim to fraudulent scams and is continuously investing in this feature. PTSB Protect alerts customers if they receive a text message containing a fraudulent link or block them from accessing a suspicious website on their mobile device. It compares links received or accessed on a customer's phone against a known blocklist of links which pose as legitimate websites to deceptively obtain a customer's personal or banking details. Where a link matches an entry on the blocklist – which is maintained and updated daily by the bank – the website will either be blocked or an alert will be sent to the customer. The bank's dedicated fraud team carries out 24/7/365 real-time fraud monitoring of all app activity and transactions and provides 24/7/365 Agent support. A PTSB spokesperson said: "We have invested, and continue to invest, significantly in security and fraud prevention and detection across all our channels, including our mobile app and desktop banking services". "This includes the 'PTSB Protect; feature on our mobile app which has supported a 64% reduction in customer account exposure year on year," the spokesperson said. "As fraudsters are becoming more sophisticated, we communicate with our customers on an ongoing basis on how to avoid fraud and scams across all of our channels, in addition to our participation in the banking industry's FraudSMART programme," the spokesperson added.

Irish Daily Mirror

3 hours ago

• Irish Daily Mirror

Family of missing Amy Fitzpatrick call on Spanish police to launch murder probe

The heartbroken family of missing Irish teen Amy Fitzpatrick have launched a new online campaign demanding a review of her case. The emotional video features various pictures of the youngster growing up and wants her disappearance to be upgraded to a murder investigation. Amy, 15, vanished as she walked home from her friend Ashley Rose's house on the Costa del Sol on the night of New Year's Day 2008. She is listed by the Spanish police as a missing person but no serious effort to try and find her has been made since the first week after she disappeared. Since then the family have received various new leads and information in relation to the case but it has not been acted upon by the Spanish authorities. They have watched silently as every effort was made by police forces across Europe to try and find missing Madeleine McCann and yet nothing has been done to find Amy. Her aunt Christine Kenny said: 'Amy is Ireland's Madeleine McCann, she was only a child when she went missing but yet she has been ignored and forgotten about. 'We have not heard from the Spanish police in years – there is no contact, no liaison with us. 'All we are asking for is for a review of Amy's case and for it to be upgraded from a missing person's case to a murder inquiry. 'That way the Spanish police might take it seriously and put all the resources required to try and find out what happened to her. 'We have no doubt that at this stage Amy is more than likely dead but all her dad Christopher wants to do is to find her and bring her home and bury her with her brother.' Amy lived near Calahonda with her mother Audrey, brother Dean and her mum's boyfriend Dave Mahon. But Dean lost his life after being stabbed to death by Mahon after a row in a Dublin apartment in 2013. Mahon served five years for manslaughter and he and Audrey are still together living in Carrick-on-Shannon, Co Leitrim. Amy used to ring her dad Chris most days when she lived in Spain and was due to move back to Ireland to live with him when she disappeared. Christine added: 'It is nearly 17 years since she went missing and we have received little or no answers. All her father wants is closure and to bring Amy home. There are people out there who know the truth about what happened and are covering it up for whatever reason. 'We have spoken to various members of the Irish Government about Amy over the years but they have done little or nothing to help us. 'We repeatedly ask them for their help but nothing ever happens. They know Amy was a child, an Irish citizen, but yet they do nothing. It is very frustrating and so wrong.' No one has ever been arrested over her disappearance or suspects quizzed. Relatives have been given information her body could be buried beneath a stable in the disused Fuengirola racetrack but the Spanish police have never acted on it and searched the area. The family have always felt if Amy was from south county Dublin and not the northside, the Irish Government would leave no stone unturned to find her.