Man on trial for Clondalkin murder
Joseph McEvoy, 34, was fatally stabbed with a machete outside a house in Shancastle Close, Clondalkin, Dublin 22, at around 5:30am on 7 July 2025. The victim, club captain at Quarryvale FC and a father of two, was taken to Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown, where he was pronounced dead. Christopher Kelly, 41, of Shancastle Park, Clondalkin, was arrested the same day and charged with murder at Dublin District Court on 8 July 2025. Kelly pleaded not guilty and the trial opened at the Central Criminal Court in November 2026 before Ms Justice Eileen Creedon, with the prosecution describing his actions as those of a vigilante following an arson attack on his home.
- Reported7 Jul
2 reports - Arrested7 Jul
6 reports - Charged7 Jul
7 reports - In court5 Nov
- Verdict
- Sentenced
Key facts
consolidated from all reports- What happened
- Joseph McEvoy, 34, was fatally stabbed with a machete outside a house in Shancastle Close, Clondalkin, Dublin 22, at around 5:30am on 7 July 2025.
- McEvoy was taken to Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown, where he was pronounced dead at 7:33am.
- The post-mortem revealed a single 27cm sharp-force chop wound to the left side of the face and head that completely cut through the left jugular vein.
- Where
- The attack took place at Shancastle Close, near Liffey Valley shopping centre, Clondalkin, Dublin 22.
- When
- The incident occurred at approximately 5:30am to 5:50am on Monday 7 July 2025.
- Weapon
- A machete was used; a matching machete was recovered from Kelly's jeep and another from the adjoining house.
- Cause
- Gardaí believe the killing is connected to a two-year feud between family-based factions in west Dublin involving a young associate of John Gilligan, though McEvoy was not known for involvement in organised crime.
- Investigation
- A man was arrested on 7 July and a Senior Investigating Officer was appointed with an incident room at Lucan Garda Station.
- Charges
- Christopher Kelly, aged 41 per court records (initial reports described the arrested man as being in his 30s), was charged with the murder of Joseph McEvoy at Dublin District Court on 8 July 2025.
- In court
- Kelly pleaded not guilty and the trial opened at the Central Criminal Court in November 2026 before Ms Justice Eileen Creedon, expected to last four weeks.
- Other details
- McEvoy was club captain at Quarryvale FC, a father of two young boys and step-father to a girl, and worked in the scaffolding industry.
- Kelly claimed McEvoy came out of the house brandishing a slash hook and that he retrieved a machete from his car for his property maintenance business.
156 statements extracted from the articles
- whatA man was fatally assaulted in Dublin. (extra.ie)
- whatThe victim, Joseph McEvoy, is named as 34 years old and from Greenfort Avenue, Clondalkin. (rte.ie)
- whatMr McEvoy was stabbed. (rte.ie)
- whatA man in his 30s was found unresponsive following a fatal assault in the Shancastle area of Dublin 22. (garda.ie)
- whatThe man was taken to John Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown where he was later pronounced deceased. (garda.ie)
- whatA fatal assault occurred in Dublin 22 on 7 July 2025 (garda.ie)
- whatThe victim was stabbed and transported to hospital alive but subsequently died (irishmirror.ie)
- whatJoseph McEvoy was fatally stabbed outside a house in Shancastle Close, near Liffey Valley shopping centre, at around 5:30am on 7 July 2025. (dublinlive.ie)
- whatMcEvoy was club captain of local football club Quarryvale FC. (dublinlive.ie)
- whatA man known to McEvoy, involved in a bitter gangland feud, was arrested following the incident. (dublinlive.ie)
- whatA car was burned out in the Glenfield Avenue area and another car was rammed in the Greenfort area over the weekend. (dublinlive.ie)
- whatA petrol bomb was thrown at a house in the Shancastle area. (dublinlive.ie)
- whatThe victim was 34 years old (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe victim was club captain with local football club Quarryvale FC (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe victim was rushed to hospital but was subsequently declared dead (irishmirror.ie)
- whatA man known to the victim, involved in a bitter gangland feud, was arrested following the incident (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe gangland feud involves a young associate of veteran mobster John Gilligan (irishmirror.ie)
- whatA car was burned out in the Glenfield Avenue area in the preceding weekend (irishmirror.ie)
- whatAnother car was rammed in the Greenfort area (irishmirror.ie)
- whatA petrol bomb was suspected to have been thrown at a house in the Shancastle area (irishmirror.ie)
- whatJoseph McEvoy, 34, was found with stab wounds at a house on Shancastle Close, Clondalkin, Dublin 22, just before 6am. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe victim was still alive when emergency services arrived and was treated at the scene by paramedics. (irishtimes.com)
- whatHe was taken by ambulance to Connolly Hospital in Blanchardstown where he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. (irishtimes.com)
- whatA car was destroyed in an arson attack on Glenfield Avenue in Clondalkin in the early hours of Monday. (irishtimes.com)
- whatAnother vehicle was rammed in the Greenfort estate. (irishtimes.com)
- whatA petrol bomb was thrown at a house in Shancastle. (irishtimes.com)
- whatA soccer player was stabbed to death. (extra.ie)
- whatJoseph McEvoy, 34, was attacked outside a house in Shancastle Close, near Liffey Valley shopping centre, at around 5:30am on Monday morning. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatMcEvoy was a footballer who was stabbed to death in West Dublin. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatMcEvoy was club captain with local football club Quaryvale FC. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatMcEvoy was rushed to hospital but was subsequently declared dead. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatJoseph McEvoy was fatally stabbed. (rte.ie)
- whatThe suspect is in his 40s (irishtimes.com)
- whatJoseph McEvoy was 34 years old and a father of two (irishtimes.com)
- whatPrevious attacks in the feud included petrol bombings, stabbings and an attempted murder (irishtimes.com)
- whatMcEvoy was not known for involvement in organised crime or regarded as a participant in the feud (irishtimes.com)
- whatA car was destroyed in an arson attack on Glenfield Avenue, Clondalkin (irishtimes.com)
- whatMcEvoy was still alive when gardaí and paramedics arrived (irishtimes.com)
- whatJoseph McEvoy was 34 years old. (gript.ie)
- whatJoseph McEvoy was found unresponsive outside a house on the Shancastle estate and died from apparent stab injuries. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe victim was still alive when gardaí and paramedics arrived and was treated in situ before being pronounced dead at Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown. (irishtimes.com)
- whatChristopher Kelly, 41, was charged with the murder of Joseph McEvoy at Dublin District Court. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatJoseph McEvoy was a father of two young boys and step-father to a girl. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatMr McEvoy was found unresponsive and rushed to John Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown, where he was pronounced dead. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatMcEvoy received a single sharp force chop injury to the left side of the face and head (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe wound was 27cm long and approximately 5cm deep (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe left jugular vein was completely cut through and the injury was deemed incompatible with life (irishmirror.ie)
- whatAn arson attack occurred on Kelly's home shortly before the murder (irishmirror.ie)
- whatA machete was recovered from the adjoining house and a matching machete from Kelly's jeep (irishmirror.ie)
- whereMr McEvoy was attacked at a house in Shancastle Close. (rte.ie)
- whereThe incident took place at a residence in Shancastle, Clondalkin, Dublin 22 (irishmirror.ie)
- whereThe victim was taken to John Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown where he was pronounced dead (irishmirror.ie)
- whereThe victim was conveyed to John Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown where he was pronounced deceased. (dublinlive.ie, irishmirror.ie)
- whereThe stabbing occurred outside a house in Shancastle Close, near Liffey Valley shopping centre (irishmirror.ie)
- whereThe fatal assault occurred in the Shancastle area of Dublin 22 (irishmirror.ie)
- whereMr McEvoy is from Greenfort Avenue, Clondalkin. (irishtimes.com)
- whereThe stabbing took place in South Dublin. (extra.ie)
- whereThe killing happened in west Dublin. (rte.ie)
- whereJoseph McEvoy was from Greenfort Avenue, Clondalkin (irishtimes.com, gript.ie)
- whereThe dispute has unfolded across Ronanstown, Clondalkin and Lucan (irishtimes.com)
- whereMcEvoy was pronounced dead at Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown (irishtimes.com)
- whereThe victim was found at Shancastle Close, Clondalkin. (irishtimes.com)
- whereThe alleged assault took place at a residence in Clondalkin. (irishmirror.ie)
- whereThe accused lived approximately 200 metres from the victim (irishmirror.ie)
- whenA man arrived at another house in Shancastle at around 5.50am and attacked Mr McEvoy. (rte.ie)
- whenThe assault occurred at approximately 5.50am on Monday 7 July 2025. (garda.ie)
- whenThe fatal assault occurred at around 5.50am on 7 July 2025 (irishmirror.ie)
- whenThe incident occurred at around 5:30am (irishmirror.ie)
- whenThe attack happened early on the morning before the article was published. (rte.ie)
- whenThe killing took place just before 6am on Monday (irishtimes.com)
- whenThe victim was found just before 6am on Monday. (irishtimes.com)
- whenThe incident occurred at around 5.50am on Monday morning. (irishmirror.ie)
- whenThe attack occurred at approximately 5.40am on Monday, July 7 (irishmirror.ie)
- whenMcEvoy was pronounced dead at 7.33am after being transferred to Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown at 6.20am (irishmirror.ie)
- causeGardaí believe the attack may be connected to an ongoing feud among rival families that has lasted more than a year. (rte.ie)
- causeGardaí believe the killing is linked to a criminal feud between largely family-based factions in West Dublin. (irishtimes.com)
- causeThe killing is part of a two-year feud between two large groups of teenagers and young men (irishtimes.com)
- causeGardaí believe a young associate of McEvoy was attacked previously and he was seen as a soft target (irishtimes.com)
- causeThe cause of death was sharp-force injury from the chop wound to the face (irishmirror.ie)
- weaponGardaí believe Mr McEvoy was attacked by a man armed with a machete or similar weapon. (irishtimes.com)
- weaponMcEvoy was attacked with a machete or similar weapon at a house in Shancastle, Clondalkin (irishtimes.com)
- investigationGardaí have made an appeal about the incident. (extra.ie)
- investigationA man in his 30s has been arrested in connection with the death and is being held at a Dublin garda station. (rte.ie)
- investigationA senior investigating officer has been appointed and an incident room has been set up at Lucan Garda Station. (rte.ie)
- investigationThe scene is preserved for forensic examination by the Garda Technical Bureau. (garda.ie, dublinlive.ie, irishmirror.ie)
- investigationThe Coroner and the Office of the State Pathologist have been notified and a post-mortem examination will be arranged. (garda.ie)
- investigationA Senior Investigating Officer has been appointed and an incident room established at Lucan Garda Station. (garda.ie, dublinlive.ie, irishtimes.com)
- investigationThe arrested male is detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984 at a Garda Station in the Dublin area. (garda.ie)
- investigationGardaí are appealing for witnesses and camera or dashcam footage from the area between 5am and 6am on 7 July 2025. (garda.ie, irishmirror.ie)
- investigationA man was arrested in connection with the fatal assault (garda.ie)
- investigationGardaí have issued a witness appeal in connection with the incident (garda.ie)
- investigationA man in his 30s was arrested and detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984 (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationA Senior Investigating Officer is leading the inquiry with an incident room at Lucan Garda Station (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationGardaí are appealing for witnesses and dashcam footage from the Shancastle area between 5am and 6am on 7 July (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationGardaí are set to launch a full murder probe into the incident. (dublinlive.ie)
- investigationThe arrested man is detained pursuant to Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984 at a Garda Station in the Dublin area. (dublinlive.ie)
- investigationGardaí are set to launch a full murder investigation (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationA Senior Investigating Officer was appointed and an incident room was established at Lucan Garda Station (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationA man in his 30s has been arrested and was being held under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationThe scene was sealed off and examined by members of the Garda Technical Bureau. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationA postmortem examination will be arranged in due course. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationA family liaison officer will be assigned to support the family of the deceased. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationThe arrested man can be questioned for up to 24 hours without charge. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationGardaí are appealing for witnesses and camera or dashcam footage from the area between 5am and 6am on Monday. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationA man was arrested by gardai following the incident and was being detained on suspicion of assault causing harm. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationDetective Sergeant Sean Cosgrave gave evidence of Kelly's arrest, charge and caution. (rte.ie)
- investigationKelly was arrested at 3.07pm. (rte.ie)
- investigationThe man was held under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act at a Dublin Garda station (irishtimes.com)
- investigationA senior investigating officer was appointed to lead the investigation (irishtimes.com)
- investigationAn incident room was established at Lucan Garda station (irishtimes.com)
- investigationA Garda family liaison officer was assigned to support McEvoy's family (irishtimes.com)
- investigationChristopher Kelly was arrested on the day of the article. (gript.ie)
- investigationThe scene was sealed off and examined by the Garda Technical Bureau on Monday. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationGardaí appealed for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationKelly was arrested at 3.07pm on Tuesday afternoon. (irishmirror.ie)
- chargeThe arrested man has been charged (garda.ie)
- chargeThe arrested man is being detained on suspicion of assault causing harm. (dublinlive.ie)
- chargeThe suspect was detained on suspicion of assault causing harm (irishmirror.ie)
- chargeChristopher Kelly was charged with the murder of Joseph McEvoy. (rte.ie)
- chargeChristopher Kelly was charged with murder and made no reply. (gript.ie)
- chargeChristopher Kelly (41) pleaded not guilty to murdering Joseph McEvoy (34) (irishmirror.ie)
- courtThe man is due to appear before the Criminal Courts of Justice Dublin at 4.30pm on 8 July 2025 (garda.ie)
- courtThe man was charged and was due to appear before the Criminal Courts of Justice Dublin at 4.30pm. (irishmirror.ie)
- courtKelly was charged at Dublin District Court and made no reply. (rte.ie)
- courtKelly was charged at 3.55pm. (rte.ie)
- courtNo bail application was made because bail cannot be granted on a murder charge before the District Court. (rte.ie)
- courtJudge David McHugh granted Kelly free legal aid. (rte.ie)
- courtKelly was remanded in custody to appear at Cloverhill District Court on 11 July. (rte.ie)
- courtThe suspect was due to appear at the Courts of Criminal Justice from 4.30pm (irishtimes.com)
- courtA man appeared before Dublin District Court charged with the murder. (gript.ie)
- courtKelly was remanded to Cloverhill Prison to appear by video link at 10am on Friday. (gript.ie)
- courtChristopher Kelly appeared before Dublin District Court on Tuesday afternoon charged with murder. (irishtimes.com)
- courtKelly was remanded in custody by Judge David McHugh. (irishtimes.com)
- courtKelly made no reply when charged with murder about an hour after his arrest. (irishtimes.com)
- courtKelly was granted free legal aid. (irishtimes.com)
- courtNo bail application was made as murder bail applications can only be made to the High Court. (irishtimes.com)
- courtKelly is due to appear before Cloverhill District Court on Friday. (irishtimes.com)
- courtNo bail application was made as bail cannot be granted on a murder charge before the District Court. (irishmirror.ie)
- courtJudge David McHugh granted Kelly free legal aid after he was told he was not receiving any social welfare. (irishmirror.ie)
- courtKelly was remanded in custody to appear at Cloverhill District Court on 11 July 2025. (irishmirror.ie)
- courtThe trial is before Ms Justice Eileen Creedon and a jury of four men and eight women, expected to last four weeks (irishmirror.ie)
- otherMr McEvoy was found unresponsive, taken to Connolly Hospital in Blanchardstown, and pronounced dead there. (rte.ie)
- otherThe incident is believed to be connected to a feud involving a young associate of gangster John Gilligan (irishmirror.ie)
- otherThe feud involves a young associate of veteran mobster John Gilligan and associates of McEvoy. (dublinlive.ie)
- otherMr McEvoy was club captain at Clondalkin-based Quarryvale FC. (irishtimes.com)
- otherTributes have been paid. (extra.ie)
- otherJoseph McEvoy was a father of two. (rte.ie)
- otherCourt heard Kelly is not currently in receipt of social welfare. (gript.ie)
- otherKelly has not yet entered a plea to the charge. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherThe prosecution said there is no suggestion McEvoy was involved in the arson attack (irishmirror.ie)
- otherThe prosecution characterised Kelly's actions as acting like a vigilante (irishmirror.ie)
- otherKelly claimed McEvoy came out of the house brandishing a slash hook and that he retrieved a machete from his car (irishmirror.ie)
- otherKelly claimed he had the machetes for his property maintenance business for chopping down hedges (irishmirror.ie)
- otherMcEvoy was working in the scaffolding industry at the time of his death (irishmirror.ie)
- otherKelly's business was in property maintenance of some kind (irishmirror.ie)
- otherThe postmortem was conducted by Dr Yvonne McCartney (irishmirror.ie)
The reporting
newest first- 5 Nov2026Murder accused acted like 'vigilante' in inflicting machete wound, court told
Trial opening at Central Criminal Court before Ms Justice Eileen Creedon; prosecution's opening address details the machete wound, the preceding arson attack on Kelly's home, the 'vigilante' narrative, and the expected four-week trial.
victim, Joseph McEvoy, 34, male, irish (judged from name)Joseph McEvoyaccused, Christopher Kelly, 41, male, named, irish (judged from name)Christopher Kelly - 8 Jul2025Man, 41, appears in court charged with murder of father of two Joseph McEvoy
First report of the charge; Kelly remanded in custody, no plea entered, next appearance at Cloverhill District Court on 11 July 2025.
victim, Joseph McEvoy, male, irish (judged from name)Joseph McEvoyaccused, Christopher Kelly, 41, male, named, irish (judged from name)Christopher Kelly - 8 Jul2025Man (41) appears in court charged with murder of Joseph McEvoy in Dublin
First report of the murder charge; details the court appearance, arrest, investigation arrangements, and the victim's background as club captain at Quarryvale FC.
victim, Joseph McEvoy, 34, male, irish (judged from name)Joseph McEvoyaccused, Christopher Kelly, 41, male, named, irish (judged from name)Christopher Kelly - 8 Jul2025Man charged with Clondalkin murder - Gript
Adds Kelly's address at Shancastle Park, the court appearance at Dublin District Court, the remand to Cloverhill Prison, and that he made no reply to the charge. The article gives no incident date or location for the killing.
accused, Christopher Kelly, 34, male, named, irish (judged from name)Christopher Kellyvictim, Joseph McEvoy, 34, irish (judged from name)Joseph McEvoy - 8 Jul2025Man charged over murder of Joseph McEvoy in Dublin
Provides extensive context on the two-year feud between two groups in Clondalkin/Lucan, identifies the weapon as a machete, gives the victim's address (Greenfort Avenue, Clondalkin), and describes the sequence of tit-for-tat incidents on the morning of the attack including an arson on Glenfield Avenue, a vehicle ramming in the Greenfort estate, and a petrol bomb in Shancastle.
victim, Joseph McEvoy, 34, male, irish (judged from name)Joseph McEvoysuspect, 40s, male - 8 Jul2025Man charged with murder after fatal west Dublin stabbing
Adds that Kelly was arrested at 3.07pm on 8 July and charged at 3.55pm at Dublin District Court, was refused bail, was granted free legal aid, and was remanded in custody to Cloverhill District Court on 11 July. Gives Kelly's address as Shancastle Park in west Dublin.
accused, Christopher Kelly, 34, male, named, irish (judged from name)Christopher Kellyvictim, Joseph McEvoy, irish (judged from name)Joseph McEvoy - 8 Jul2025Man charged over fatal assault of footballer Joseph McEvoy in Dublin
Adds that McEvoy was a footballer and club captain with Quaryvale FC, specifies the location as Shancastle Close near Liffey Valley shopping centre, confirms he was stabbed, and notes the charged man was due to appear at CCJ Dublin at 4.30pm. Includes tributes from Quarryvale FC and friends.
victim, Joseph McEvoy, 34, male, irish (judged from name)Joseph McEvoysuspect, male - 8 Jul2025Tributes paid after soccer player stabbed to death in South Dublin
Only the headline is usable. The body text is website template code, so it gives no date, names, suspects or investigation details.
victim - 7 Jul2025Gardaí believe Dublin murder followed night of violence connected to family-based feud in the area
Provides details on the family-based criminal feud connection, the weapon (machete or similar), the series of violent incidents that night (arson on Glenfield Avenue, vehicle ramming in Greenfort estate, petrol bomb in Shancastle), the victim's role as club captain at Quarryvale FC, his address at Greenfort Avenue, and the investigation setup (incident room at Lucan Garda station, senior investigating officer appointed, family liaison officer assigned).
victim, Joseph McEvoy, 34, male, irish (judged from name)Joseph McEvoysuspect, 30s, male - 7 Jul2025Dublin stabbing victim named locally as football club pays tribute
Names the victim as Joseph McEvoy, 34, club captain of Quarryvale FC; links the attack to a gangland feud involving an associate of John Gilligan; describes preceding incidents over the weekend including a car fire in Glenfield Avenue, a car being rammed in Greenfort, and a suspected petrol bomb in Shancastle; notes the suspect was initially detained on suspicion of assault causing harm before a murder probe was to be launched; incident room established at Lucan Garda Station.
victim, Joseph McEvoy, 34, male, irish (judged from name)Joseph McEvoysuspect, 30s, male - 7 Jul2025Stabbing victim named locally as football club pays tribute
Names the victim as Joseph McEvoy, in his 30s, club captain of Quarryvale FC; provides context about the gangland feud involving a young associate of John Gilligan; details a spate of weekend incidents (car burned in Glenfield Avenue, car rammed in Greenfort, petrol bomb at a Shancastle house); confirms arrest of an unnamed man in his 30s under Section 4; incident room established at Lucan Garda Station.
victim, Joseph McEvoy, 30s, male, irish (judged from name)Joseph McEvoysuspect, 30s, male - 7 Jul2025Dublin murder live updates as gardai seal off home after body found
Live blog providing initial details of the fatal stabbing, including that the victim was stabbed, the incident is linked to a feud involving a young associate of John Gilligan, and the suspect was arrested and detained under Section 4. Gardaí are appealing for witnesses and dashcam footage.
victim, 30s, malesuspect, 30s, male - 7 Jul2025Update: Court Appearance - Witness Appeal - Fatal Assault, Dublin 22, 7th July 2025
Confirms the arrested man has been formally charged and provides his court appearance date at CCJ Dublin on 8 July 2025; witness appeal issued.
suspect, male - 7 Jul2025Witness Appeal - Fatal Assault, Dublin 22, 7th July 2025
Garda press release reporting the initial arrest and witness appeal; the scene is preserved for forensic examination by the Garda Technical Bureau and a post-mortem is to be arranged. An incident room was established at Lucan Garda Station.
victim, 30s, malesuspect, 30s, male - 7 Jul2025Murder investigation launched after fatal Dublin stabbing
Names the victim as Joseph McEvoy, 34, of Greenfort Avenue, Clondalkin, and says a man in his 30s has been arrested and held, with gardaí linking the attack to a feud between families. The article does not name the arrested man.
victim, Joseph McEvoy, 34, male, irish (judged from name)Joseph McEvoysuspect, 30s, male - 7 Jul2025Garda appeal as man fatally assaulted in Dublin
The article body is website template code with no reporting. The only substantive content is the headline, which indicates a fatal assault in Dublin and a garda appeal. No existing case matches a fatal assault in Dublin.
victim, male