Wednesday 28 October 2026Compiled from published reports. Every claim links to its source.

Ireland Crime

Every case followed from the first report to the sentence, or to where the reporting stopped.

Case No. 1681Public order · Co. Dublin · 12 May 2025

Man in his 20s charged over public order incident at Dublin Airport

A man in his 20s was arrested at approximately 10am on Monday, 12 May 2025, following a public order incident in the upstairs area of Terminal One at Dublin Airport, Co. Dublin. Four members of Airport Police surrounded the man and placed him into custody. He has since been charged in connection with the incident. He is due to appear before a sitting of the Criminal Courts of Justice at a later date.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrestednot reported
  3. Charged13 May
  4. In court15 May
  5. Verdictnot reported
  6. Sentenced13 May
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
What happened
  • A man in his 20s was arrested in connection with a public order incident at Dublin Airport.
  • Four members of Airport Police surrounded the man and placed him into custody.
Where
The incident took place in the upstairs area of Terminal One at Dublin Airport, Co. Dublin.
When
The incident occurred at approximately 10am on Monday, 12 May 2025.
Investigation
Det Garda Richard Mostyn of the Divisional Protective Services Unit in Kevin Street Garda station gave evidence.
Charges
The man has been charged in connection with the incident.
In court
He is due to appear before a sitting of the Criminal Courts of Justice at a later date.
36 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatA man aged in his 20s was arrested in connection with a public order incident. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatFour members of Airport Police surrounded the man and placed him into custody. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe abuse primarily involved inappropriate touching. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe boys were aged between 11 and 13 when Gilleran abused them. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatGilleran brought the first boy to a bar before the incident and gave him alcohol. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatGilleran gave the second boy a glass of cider and asked him to touch his penis, but the boy refused. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatGilleran brought the third boy to the cinema then to his home at Sundrive Park, gave him a can of beer and pornographic magazines, and indecently assaulted him. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatA property letting agent rented out rooms in 17 Dublin properties to between 50 and 80 migrants and foreign students. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe agent allegedly divided some sittingroom/living spaces into bedrooms and rented the rooms without written tenancy agreements. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe arrangements were made without the knowledge of the property owners and their agent. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe corporate owners of the properties are Blumay Ltd, Sunchulo Ltd, Maroon Zirconium Ltd and Harts Alexandra Ltd. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatSimilar subletting arrangements were subsequently made for the other 16 properties. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe inspection found modifications to living spaces, overcrowding, poor maintenance, and occupants without written tenancy agreements. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe defendants' business model was to obtain leases and then grant licences or subleases to individuals to occupy rooms, often on a shared basis. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe defendants made multiple complaints to An Garda Síochána and the Property Services Regulatory Authority. (irishtimes.com)
  • whereThe incident took place in the upstairs area of Terminal One at Dublin Airport. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whereThe first incident took place in the boiler room of White Friar Street Church. (irishtimes.com)
  • whereThe second incident took place in the kitchen at the Scout Hall in June 1985. (irishtimes.com)
  • whereThe properties are in areas including Portobello, East Wall, Capel Street and Ranelagh in Dublin. (irishtimes.com)
  • whenThe incident occurred at approximately 10am on Monday, 12 May 2025. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whenQTX undertook an inspection of all the properties in February 2025. (irishtimes.com)
  • investigationDet Garda Richard Mostyn of the Divisional Protective Services Unit in Kevin Street Garda station gave evidence. (irishtimes.com)
  • investigationRecords from Scouting Ireland were obtained as part of the investigation. (irishtimes.com)
  • chargeThe man has been charged in connection with the incident. (irishmirror.ie)
  • chargeGilleran pleaded guilty to five counts of indecent assault on dates between 1983 and 1987. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtHe is due to appear before a sitting of the Criminal Courts of Justice at a later date. (irishmirror.ie)
  • courtMr Justice David Nolan granted the owners permission to serve papers on the defendants. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe matter is to come back before the court the following week. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherOne victim contacted another complainant after seeing Gilleran on television, and a third then came forward. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherGilleran has one previous conviction for the sexual assault of a boy in a cerebral palsy clinic, with a four-year sentence in 1997 reduced to two years on appeal. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe judge said the offending constituted a gross violation of children's bodily integrity, innocence, happiness, trust, childhood and peace of mind. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherGilleran was a scout leader of the 117th Francis Street Scout Group between 1983 and 1987 and also worked as a sacristan in White Friar Street Church. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherGilleran wrote letters of apology to the men, who indicated they do not wish to receive them. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherGilleran was from Longford and moved to Dublin when he was 17. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherGilleran has health issues and was recently in hospital for a cardiac incident. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherGilleran was a carer for his long-term partner who passed away seven years ago. (irishtimes.com)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 15 May2025
    In courtirishtimes.com, follow-up
    Seventeen properties allegedly sub-divided and let to up to 80 people, High Court hears

    First report of High Court proceedings in which corporate property owners seek injunctions against Kevin Linehan O'Brien and Linehan O'Brien Investments Ltd for unauthorised subletting of 17 Dublin properties to 50–80 occupants.

    suspect, male, irish (judged from name)
  2. 13 May2025
    Sentencedirishtimes.com, follow-up
    Man reported former scout leader to gardaí after appearance on Late Late Show

    Reports the sentencing of James Gilleran to two years' imprisonment for five counts of indecent assault on three boys during the 1980s, with details of the incidents, victim impact statements, and mitigating factors.

    victim, Rory Patchell, male, irish (judged from name)Rory Patchellvictim, Stephen Devlin, male, irish (judged from name)Stephen Devlinvictim, Greg Stafford, male, irish (judged from name)Greg Staffordconvicted, James Gilleran, 70, male, named, irish (judged from name)James Gilleran
  3. 13 May2025
    Chargedirishmirror.ie, first report
    Man arrested after Dublin Airport 'public order incident' due in court

    First report of the incident; details are limited to the arrest and charge, with no specific offence named beyond 'public order incident'.

    suspect, 20s, male