By Secret Ireland Team | February 5, 2026
While gardaí launched a major investigation, the Kinahan organised crime group wasted no time. Using their own ‘intelligence network,’ they quickly identified five men they believed were the gunmen responsible. This led to a vicious revenge campaign, with multiple attempted hits, one wrongful murder, and the broader Hutch-Kinahan feud claiming at least 18 lives over the years. Despite intense scrutiny, no one has been convicted for the Regency shooting itself, and the hunt continues in 2026.
Here, we examine the five men targeted by the Kinahans, the evidence (or lack thereof) against them, the cartel’s reprisals, and their outcomes a decade later.
Michael Barr – Wrongly Targeted and Murdered
Michael Barr, a 36-year-old dissident republican from Co Tyrone, worked at The Sunset House pub in Dublin’s north inner city—a known Hutch gang stronghold. The Kinahans mistakenly concluded he was one of the ERU-disguised gunmen.
On April 25, 2016—just weeks after the Regency—two masked gunmen (wearing Freddy Krueger masks) entered the pub during a raffle event where Barr was socialising on his night off. They shot him multiple times at the counter, killing him instantly. This became the cartel’s first reprisal killing linked to the hotel attack.
Importantly, gardaí never considered Barr a suspect in the Regency incident—not as a shooter or in any support role. Detectives believe another young Hutch associate was the actual ERU gunman. Three Kinahan-linked individuals were later convicted of Barr’s murder by the Special Criminal Court.
Keith ‘Smokey’ Murtagh – Multiple Failed Assassination Attempts
Career criminal Keith Murtagh (now 41), a childhood friend of Gary Hutch (whose 2015 murder in Spain sparked the feud), was an early name on the Kinahan suspect list. He fled to Australia post-Regency but returned to Ireland.
The cartel made at least three unsuccessful attempts on his life in 2016:
- April 14: A gunman on a bicycle shot at Murtagh outside Noctor’s Pub on Sheriff Street. Murtagh escaped, but innocent bystander Martin O’Rourke (24, father of three) was fatally struck by a stray bullet.
- May: Shots fired at a house in Ballyfermot where Murtagh was with a female friend; both wounded but survived.
- June 18: Gardaí intercepted two men in south Dublin with a firearm, believed to be en route for another hit on Murtagh (who had been watching an Ireland Euro 2016 match that day).
Murtagh attempted to clear his name with an alibi, but it failed to stop the threats. He has never been arrested in connection with the Regency attack. Currently serving a long sentence for a January 2016 post office robbery, he is expected for release in the coming year or so.
James ‘Mago’ Gately – Survived Multiple Hits and Ongoing Scrutiny
James ‘Mago’ Gately (39), a loyal associate of Gary Hutch who turned against the Kinahans after Hutch’s death, has long been suspected by both gardaí and the underworld of Regency involvement.
Daniel Kinahan reportedly oversaw efforts to target him. Gately went into hiding post-attack. In 2017:
- Estonian hitman Imre Arakas was arrested for conspiring to murder Gately in a Belfast safe house, allegedly directed by the Kinahans.
- Gately was shot multiple times at a north Dublin petrol station but survived.
In 2024 High Court proceedings, Gately’s barrister noted he was investigated over the Regency and earlier murders (including Eamon ‘The Don’ Dunne in 2010) but never charged, arguing insufficient evidence. Gately has described the attempts as based on “misplaced assumptions.” His current status remains low-profile, with no recent convictions tied to the feud.
Patrick Hutch Jr – Trial Collapsed, Walked Free
Patrick Hutch Jr (33), younger brother of Gary Hutch, faced strong Kinahan accusations. They believed he was the gunman disguised as a woman fleeing with a handgun— a view gardaí shared when arresting him.
Evidence from state witness Jonathan Dowdall linked him to prior plots, including an alleged 2014 attempt on Daniel Kinahan in Spain (wounding boxer Jamie Moore) and a shooting by Kinahan himself in Dublin.
Charged with David Byrne’s murder, his Special Criminal Court trial collapsed in February 2019 after the lead investigator, Detective Superintendent Colm Fox, tragically took his own life. The State entered a nolle prosequi, dropping charges. Patrick walked free and reportedly sought safety up North during peak feud violence. No further Regency-related proceedings against him.
Kevin ‘Flat Cap’ Murray – Died Before Any Charges or Retribution
Dissident republican Kevin Murray (47) stayed at the Regency the night before, with his room booked by former Sinn Féin councillor Jonathan Dowdall. PSNI assistance helped identify him as a suspect, and Kinahan contacts in the North also pointed to him.
Suffering from motor neurone disease with limited life expectancy, Murray was targeted in his northern hideout, but Kinahan plans never materialised. He died in 2017—before gardaí could charge him or the cartel exact revenge. His death closed one chapter without resolution.
The Lasting Impact: No Convictions for the Regency Attack
A decade on, the Regency gunmen remain unidentified in court. The feud reshaped Irish organised crime, prompting massive gardaí resources, international cooperation, and ongoing threats. Key figures like Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch were acquitted in related trials, and investigations persist as a “threat to the State.”
For more on Dublin’s hidden gangland stories, explore our coverage of the Hutch-Kinahan feud or Irish organised crime updates.
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