Ireland’s Special Criminal Court has confirmed that a formal bail application will be submitted on behalf of high-profile alleged organised crime figure Daniel Kinahan in the coming weeks, with the request to be lodged through Dublin’s High Court.
Kinahan’s solicitor, Darragh Mackin of Belfast-based Phoenix Law, made the confirmation during a court appearance on Monday, outlining next steps for the defence team as the case progresses. The 46-year-old Kinahan faces a single charge of directing the activities of a transnational criminal organisation between October 2015 and April 2017, a charge he denies.
Mackin told the court that the defence legal team is currently moving forward on two key preparatory fronts: first, it is sourcing a qualified independent digital forensics expert to conduct a full review of all digital evidence held by the prosecution; second, it is seeking full disclosure of details from previous international investigations into Kinahan that ended in his acquittal.
Representing the Director of Public Prosecutions, the prosecuting barrister told the court that the case against Kinahan rests on what he described as an exceptionally complex factual matrix. He noted that the extradition of Kinahan from Dubai earlier this year was supported by an 189-page detailed statement of facts laying out the prosecution’s core allegations.
Following Monday’s hearing, Kinahan was remanded in custody, with his next in-person court appearance scheduled for December 21. The prosecution confirmed that the full book of evidence, which compiles all materials and witness statements the prosecution will rely on at trial, is on track to be finalized and served by that date. This marked Kinahan’s third appearance before the Special Criminal Court, and only the second time he has appeared in person at the Dublin venue. Observers at the hearing reported that Kinahan was dressed in a neat grey suit, paired with a black shirt and dark-framed glasses.
Kinahan’s path to trial in Ireland began in April 2024, when he was arrested by law enforcement authorities in the United Arab Emirates following a coordinated extradition request from Irish authorities. He was ultimately handed over to Irish officials on August 9, and flown back to Dublin on the Irish government’s official jet to face the charge against him.