At the Special Criminal Court in Dublin, Inspector Padraig Boyce told the trial of Gerard Hutch, charged with the murder of Kinahan Cartel member David Byrne at the Regency Hotel on 5 February 2016, that a search warrant for the home of former Sinn Féin councillor Jonathan Dowdall was obtained on the basis that firearms and explosives were believed to be stored there on behalf of the IRA. The warrant was executed on 9 March 2016, approximately one hour after three AK-47 assault rifles were recovered from the boot of convicted IRA member Shane Rowan's vehicle near Slane, County Meath. The court heard that the search of Dowdall's Donegal property, which lasted two days, recovered no firearms or explosives, though a USB key was located and subsequently analysed. The witness confirmed he was aware that a tracking device had been deployed on Dowdall's Land Cruiser jeep. Dowdall has previously received a suspended sentence for falsely imprisoning and threatening a man in January 2015.
Source links
Original report plus public source leads and related archive reports used for review context.
Public source leads
-
Trial required for gardaí in corruption case, court hears - RTÉ
rte.ie
2 days ago · Longford Circuit Court has heard that a trial will be required for two members of An Garda Síochána charged with a number of corruption-linked offences in...
-
Garda Síochána - The Irish Times
irishtimes.com
May 15, 2026 · Why videos of Yves Sakila’s last moments on Dublin street are key to Garda investigation In the News podcast: Sakila (35) was held down by group...
Related court reports
-
Hutch defence team want to know if there was illegal use of tracker device
Courts News Ireland · 2022-11-02
Gerard Hutch's defence team have raised concerns at the Special Criminal Court about whether gardaí deployed a tracker device on a vehicle belonging to former Sinn Féin...
-
Hutch and Dowdall met man caught with Regency rifles, surveillance garda tells trial
Courts News Ireland · 2022-10-27
A surveillance garda told the Special Criminal Court that he observed Gerard Hutch and former Sinn Féin councillor Jonathan Dowdall meeting with a man later apprehended...
-
State tells Regency trial that CCTV footage shows Hutch and Dowdall travelling North together
Courts News Ireland · 2022-10-25
The Special Criminal Court viewed CCTV footage on 25 October as part of the trial of Gerard Hutch, charged with the murder of Kinahan Cartel member David Byrne at the...
-
Surveillance garda saw 'the Monk' leave Dowdall's home, trial hears
Courts News Ireland · 2022-11-01
A surveillance garda told the Special Criminal Court that he observed a man he recognised as Gerard Hutch departing Jonathan Dowdall's home on the Navan Road on 12...
-
AK-47s found just a month after Regency shooting, Hutch murder trial hears
Courts News Ireland · 2022-10-20
A Special Criminal Court in Dublin heard evidence on 20 October 2022 regarding three AK-47 assault rifles recovered in County Meath approximately one month after David...