Ireland Case No. 3893Murder · Co. Dublin · 5 Feb 2016
Family of murdered gangster David Byrne mark 10th anniversary of Regency Hotel killing
The family of David Byrne, a Kinahan gangster assassinated in the lobby of the Regency Hotel in Dublin on 5 February 2016, left floral tributes and messages on the 10th anniversary, expressing frustration that his killers remain free after Patrick Hutch's charges were dropped in 2019 and Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch was acquitted by the Special Criminal Court in April 2023.
- Reportednot reported
- Arrestednot reported
- Chargednot reported
- In courtnot reported
- Acquitted5 Feb
- Sentenced
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet
Key facts
consolidated from all reports70 statements extracted from the articles
- whatDavid Byrne was a key ally of mob boss Daniel Kinahan, 48. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe Hutch gang was trying to kill Daniel Kinahan but he narrowly escaped. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe hit team consisted of three gunmen in fake Garda ERU uniforms, Flat Cap, a man dressed as a woman, and the van driver. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatDavid Byrne, a cartel associate, was killed in the shooting. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe Hutch mob burst into a boxing weigh-in event at the hotel, gunning for Daniel Kinahan. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe attack took place at a boxing weigh-in at the Regency Hotel. (irishtimes.com)
- whatDavid Byrne was shot and killed in the attack. (irishtimes.com)
- whatSean McGovern was seriously injured but survived the attack. (irishtimes.com)
- whatDaniel Kinahan, then 48, was the intended target of the attack. (irishtimes.com)
- whatKinahan escaped uninjured from the attack. (irishtimes.com)
- what10 people were killed by the end of 2016 as a result of the Kinahan-Hutch feud. (irishtimes.com)
- what18 people were dead as a result of related incidents by the end of 2018. (irishtimes.com)
- what98 associates of the Kinahan and Hutch gangs had been successfully prosecuted as a result of Garda actions since the attack. (irishtimes.com)
- what19 of the 98 prosecuted were in relation to murders. (irishtimes.com)
- what25 of the 98 prosecuted were in relation to attempted murders. (irishtimes.com)
- what21 of the 98 prosecuted were in connection to firearms offences. (irishtimes.com)
- whatKevin Murray, who was pictured leaving the scene while carrying a gun, died of natural causes before he could face trial. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThree gunmen dressed in fake Garda ERU uniforms and two others, one dressed in drag, carried out the shooting. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatDavid Byrne, a key lieutenant in the Kinahan mob, was shot dead at the lobby desk. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatDaniel Kinahan escaped through a window and now lives in Dubai. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe shooting sparked an all-our-war between the Hutch and Kinahan mobs in which 18 lives were claimed in total. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatDavid Byrne was a 33-year-old Kinahan gangster (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe murder occurred during a boxing weigh-in (irishmirror.ie)
- whereThe attack took place at the Regency Airport Hotel in north Dublin. (irishmirror.ie)
- whereThe shooting took place at the Regency Hotel in Dublin. (irishmirror.ie)
- whereThe murder took place in the lobby of the Regency Hotel, now called the Bonnington Hotel (irishmirror.ie)
- whenThe murder of David Byrne took place at 2.32pm on 5 February 2016. (irishmirror.ie)
- whenThe three AK 47 rifles were given to IRA man Shane Rowan on 9 March 2016, a month after the attack. (irishmirror.ie)
- whenThe Regency Hotel shooting occurred on the afternoon of 5 February 2016. (irishmirror.ie)
- whenThe Regency Hotel attack occurred on 5 February 2016. (irishtimes.com)
- whenKevin Murray died of natural causes in 2017. (irishtimes.com)
- whenThe shooting occurred on 5 February 2016. (irishmirror.ie)
- whenThe murder took place on 5 February 2016 (irishmirror.ie)
- causeThe attack was intended as revenge for the killing of Gary Hutch in Spain by members of the Kinahan cartel. (irishtimes.com)
- causeThe charges against Patrick Hutch were dropped after the death of lead investigating officer Det Supt Colm Fox (irishmirror.ie)
- weaponSome members of the Hutch mob were armed with Kalashnikov rifles. (irishmirror.ie)
- weaponThe gunmen were armed with what looked like AK-47s. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationOfficers had evidence that Murray stayed in the hotel the night before the attack. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationThe Regency investigation team was based at Ballymun Garda Station in north Dublin. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationMichael O'Sullivan headed the Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau when the Regency shooting happened. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationArmed response units were brought from Mullingar, Wexford, and Dundalk to patrol Dublin in the weeks after the shooting. (irishmirror.ie)
- chargeJonathan Dowdall and his father Patrick both admitted facilitating the murder. (irishmirror.ie)
- chargePaul Murphy, 64, of Cherry Avenue, Swords, was convicted of facilitating the murder. (irishmirror.ie)
- chargeJason Bonney, 55, of Drumnigh Wood, Portmarnock, Dublin 1 was convicted of facilitating the murder. (irishmirror.ie)
- courtThe case against Patrick Hutch collapsed in 2019 after the death by suicide of lead investigator Detective Superintendent Colm Fox the previous year. (irishmirror.ie)
- courtGerry Hutch was acquitted by the Special Criminal Court in April 2023 after a trial that began in late 2022. (irishmirror.ie)
- courtIn late 2024, the DPP declined to prosecute Patsy Hutch, a brother of the Monk. (irishmirror.ie)
- courtJustice Tara Burns stated that a reasonable possibility arises that the Regency was planned by Patsy Hutch and that Gerard Hutch stepped in to sort out the aftermath. (irishmirror.ie)
- courtGerry Hutch, known as The Monk, was acquitted by the Special Criminal Court of murder. (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe case against Patrick Hutch collapsed during a separate trial. (irishtimes.com)
- courtFive people have been convicted in relation to serious offences in relation to the murder of David Byrne. (irishtimes.com)
- courtTwo people were convicted of being getaway drivers in the Regency attack. (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe Special Criminal Court murder trial of Gerry Hutch lasted 13 weeks. (irishtimes.com)
- courtPatrick Hutch's charges were dropped by the State in 2019 (irishmirror.ie)
- courtGerry 'The Monk' Hutch was acquitted of murder by the Special Criminal Court in April 2023 (irishmirror.ie)
- otherAs many as 13 people were part of the plan to attack, but only six men made up the actual hit team. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherKevin Murray, known as Flat Cap, was 46 and was to be tried for the murder of Byrne. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherMurray did not wear a disguise in the attack and was identified by Garda and PSNI detectives. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherMurray died from an aggressive illness in August 2017 before he could be brought to trial. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherThe Regency was a tipping point in the feud between the Hutch crime gang and the Kinahan cartel. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherSome members of the Hutch mob were disguised as gardai. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherMichael O'Sullivan served over 40 years in the Garda Síochána. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherMichael O'Sullivan once arrested Christy Kinahan in the 1980s. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherThere was an attempt on Gerry Hutch in Lanzarote months before the Regency shooting. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherGary Hutch was murdered in Spain in September 2015. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherThere was an attempt to murder Daniel Kinahan at the Red Cow Inn in Dublin in November 2015. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherThe author was studying journalism at Technology University Dublin at the time. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherAn Arctic Monkeys tune was playing in the function room during the weigh-in. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherThe author was interviewing Dubliner Stephen Ormond when the shooting began. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherDavid Byrne's brother Liam is on house arrest in the UK (irishmirror.ie)
The reporting
newest first- 5 Feb2026Family of David Byrne say they 'can’t believe' his killers are 'still free'
10th anniversary tributes from David Byrne's family; confirms the final outcome of the case: Patrick Hutch's charges dropped in 2019 after the death of Det Supt Colm Fox, and Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch acquitted by the Special Criminal Court in April 2023.
victim, David Byrne, 33, male, irish (judged from name)David Byrnesuspect, Patrick Hutch, male, named, irish (judged from name)Patrick Hutchsuspect, male, irish (judged from name) - 5 Feb2026I witnessed Regency murder and will never forget look on Daniel Kinahan's face
First-hand eyewitness account by a journalist present at the Regency Hotel during the shooting, published on the 10th anniversary; describes the gunmen's appearance, the sequence of events, and the immediate aftermath.
victim, David Byrne, male, irish (judged from name)David Byrnevictim, Daniel Kinahan, male, irish (judged from name)Daniel Kinahanvictim, Sean McGovern, male, irish (judged from name)Sean McGovern - 4 Feb2026Regency shooting: Garda chief rejects ‘policing failure’ characterisation of investigation
Garda chief comments on 10th anniversary of the Regency Hotel shooting, rejects 'policing failure' characterisation, details investigation outcomes including 98 prosecutions, Gerry Hutch acquittal at Special Criminal Court, Patrick Hutch case collapse, and Kevin Murray's death of natural causes before trial.
victim, David Byrne, male, irish (judged from name)David Byrnevictim, Sean McGovern, male, irish (judged from name)Sean McGovernvictim, Daniel Kinahan, 48, male, irish (judged from name)Daniel Kinahanaccused, Gerry Hutch, male, named, irish (judged from name)Gerry Hutchaccused, Patrick Hutch, male, named, irish (judged from name)Patrick Hutchaccused, Kevin Murray, male, named, irish (judged from name)Kevin Murray - 4 Feb2026Kinahans 'had no idea' deadly Regency attack was coming, ex Garda says
10th anniversary interview with former Assistant Commissioner Michael O'Sullivan defending Garda intelligence at the time of the Regency Hotel shooting and describing the post-incident response.
victim, David Byrne, irish (judged from name)David Byrnevictim, Daniel Kinahan, male, irish (judged from name)Daniel Kinahan - 3 Feb2026'They got away with it' Gardai accept Regency hit team may never be convicted
10-year anniversary retrospective confirming Gardaí's acceptance that the hit team will likely never be convicted; summarises all legal outcomes including Murray's death, Patrick Hutch's case collapse, Gerry Hutch's acquittal, and the DPP declining to prosecute Patsy Hutch.
victim, David Byrne, 34, male, irish (judged from name)David Byrnevictim, Daniel Kinahan, 48, male, irish (judged from name)Daniel Kinahansuspect, Kevin Murray, 46, male, named, irish (judged from name)Kevin Murraysuspect, Gerry Hutch, 62, male, named, irish (judged from name)Gerry Hutchsuspect, Patrick Hutch, 34, male, named, irish (judged from name)Patrick Hutchsuspect, Patsy Hutch, male, named, irish (judged from name)Patsy Hutchconvicted, Jonathan Dowdall, male, named, irish (judged from name)Jonathan Dowdallconvicted, male, irish (judged from name)convicted, Paul Murphy, 64, male, named, irish (judged from name)Paul Murphyconvicted, Jason Bonney, 55, male, named, irish (judged from name)Jason Bonney