Courts / Dublin / Report

Dublin man jailed for life for shooting veteran criminal four times in the back in IRA hit

Summary

Sean Connolly, aged 35, was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Special Criminal Court for the murder of veteran criminal Eamon Kelly, 65, on 4 December 2012. Connolly shot Kelly four times in the back outside his home on Furry Park Road, Killester, after Kelly had returned from a Ladbrokes betting shop. Gardaí arrested Connolly minutes after the shooting, and forensic evidence linked him to the crime: 9mm cartridge residue, an accelerant matching that used to burn a black Lexus involved in the killing, and admissions made to detectives. Connolly had prior convictions in the Special Criminal Court, including a six‑year sentence in 2004 for IRA membership and a four‑year sentence in 2000 for firearms possession. The court described the murder as a "most heinous crime" and imposed a mandatory life sentence. Sean Connolly pleaded guilty.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Dublin man jailed for life for shooting veteran criminal four times in the back in IRA hit. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• December 4th, 2012 Incident
• December 4th Other
• 2015-05-01 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Sentence Violent Crime

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Read the original CNI report