I witnessed Regency Hotel murder and will never forget look on Daniel Kinahan's face
It is ten years to the day since the most audacious murder in the history of the State – and I witnessed the horrifying events with my own eyes.Certain details still stand out to me from the notorious gangland attack at the Regency Hotel in Dublin on February 5, 2016, and the look on Daniel Kinahan’s face is one. But more on that shortly.Below, I recall my own experiences from that dreadful afternoon that sparked an all-our-war between the Hutch and Kinahan mobs where 18 lives were claimed in total.For context, my life was completely different back then. I was studying journalism in Technology University Dublin and when I wasn’t in lecture halls, I could usually be found travelling across Ireland covering combat sports.On this occasion, I was preparing for the ‘Clash of the Clans’ MGM boxing event at the National Stadium in south Dublin.But while the action usually took place in the squared circle, this time, the violence unfolded at the weigh-in the day before. And it was much deadlier than any of the hundreds of professional fights I have witnessed.My job was to speak to fighters and armed with my voice recorder, I arrived at the Regency on February 5.I took a seat and waited for my two colleagues to arrive but as I did so, I noticed a man at the bar chatting animatedly to other well-known faces in the Irish boxing scene.There was no doubt that it was Daniel Kinahan. At the time, his heavy involvement in MGM boxing (later changed to MTK before eventually ceasing operations) was no secret. However, his links to organised crime were clear, and I remember messaging my colleagues to say there were some “dodgy characters” present.What struck me was how relaxed and carefree Kinahan was. He came across as being larger than life and was laughing away with pals without a care in the world. He certainly wasn’t hiding away in the shadows like he is today.It was strangely unsettling and it was clear that this was a man who at the time felt untouchable.However, unbeknown to him, three gunmen dressed in fake Garda ERU uniforms, and two others, one dressed in drag, were on their way with guns to try and assassinate him. And while he would escape unharmed, not all of his associates were as fortunate.Eventually, my two colleagues arrived, and we took our seats in the main function room, where the weigh-in was to take place.Posting a picture on our combat sports Facebook page, I wrote: “MGM weigh-ins. Great weekend ahead. Stay posted.”None of us could have predicted the horror that unfolded minutes later…Trying to make the trip worth my while, I asked one of the fighters, Dubliner Stephen Ormond, for a quick interview after he made weight.The room was loud, an Arctic Monkeys tune was playing, and I suggested going into the corridor outside that led to the hotel entrance, which was just about to become a murder scene.Pressing record on my device, we began talking about his fight, and all was going fine until his trainer, Paschal Collins, shouted across at us. I can’t recall his exact words, but he told him in no uncertain terms to end the interview right away. Seconds later, he again warned him to make a move.Apologising, a confused looking Stephen was hurried away, and I was left to hit stop on my recorder, feeling like the brief interview was a waste of time.About to make my way back inside, the door to the function room swung open, and a woman, who I recognised as of the MGM organisers, screamed at me to run. I can still recall the fear in her voice, and the frantic look in her eyes as she said it.Turning right, towards the hotel entrance, multiple gunmen armed with what looked like AK-47s and dressed in fake Garda gear appeared. Following others, I ran right by them without a second to think, before cannon-like gunshots blasted out, leaving David Byrne, a key lieutenant in the Kinahan mob, slumped in his own blood by the lobby desk.Another one of Kinahan’s right hand men, Sean McGovern, was also shot that day, but unlike Byrne, he survived.I still remember the haunting screams of women and children as gunfire erupted and making my way outside, I saw Paschal hop over a wall opposite the hotel. I did the same, and crouched in a stranger’s garden, my thoughts completely scrambled, I wondered what the hell had just happened.Fearing my life was possibly in danger, I tried to make as little noise as possible, before eventually making my way back once things had calmed down.My initial feeling was a possible terror attack, especially given the sudden presence of what I thought were armed emergency responders. Was there a bomb threat in the building? Who were they firing at? But I soon learned the gunmen were not law enforcement, and they came in disguise to carry out a brazen gangland murder.We drove back to our gym, all of us shaken, and the story was soon the biggest one in the country. The aftermath has long been reported on, and to get a better understanding of the events and where the key players are a decade on, you can listen to our two-part Shattered Lives special on the Regency 10 years on here.It’s a miracle an innocent person did not die that day at the Regency and the sound of gunshots were unlike anything I have heard since.That night, I walked across the city, and made my way to Busáras. The world around me carried on as normal. But taking my seat on the bus to make my way home after the scariest day of my life, I knew it would be something I would never forget. And ten years on, that remains the case.
