The father of feud victim Michael Barr has slammed an upcoming “interview” with mob boss Daniel Kinahan as “a slap in the face to his victims.”
Republican Michael Barr (35), the manager of the Sunset House in Dublin’s north inner city, was shot and killed by a masked gunman at the pub on April 24, 2016 — and became one of 18 victims in the bloody Kinahan Hutch feud.
And now, in a brief but powerful statement to The Star, Michael’s devastated father Colin reacted to the news that mob boss Kinahan has agreed to do an interview with a controversial podcast host.
“This is another slap on the face for the families of Kinahan’s victims,” he said.
Barr was murdered by a Kinahan cartel linked hit team that were ordered to kill him when they mistakenly blamed him for having a role in the Regency Hotel killing of their associate — David Byrne.
His murder, for which three people have been convicted, is just one of 16 brutal killings ordered by the Kinahan cartel — of which Daniel Kinahan is the head.
Yet in recent years the mob boss has enjoyed freedom in his bolthole of Dubai — where he continues to attempt to whitewash his image and portray himself as a legitimate businessman, and a powerhouse in the world of boxing.
And now his yet-to-be-released interview with James English on the Anything Goes podcast has renewed criticism of his brazen attempts to try and alter his public image.
English’s podcast, which has featured controversial guests in the past, such as conspiracy theorist David Icke, is well known and has over 350,000 subscribers.
The podcast has also hosted a number of gangland figures such as Darren Gee and Martin Herbert.
Speaking to The Star, outspoken Fine Gael TD Neale Richmond blasted Kinahan’s upcoming appearance on the podcast as worrying.
Richmond said that he found it truly worrying that “a vicious gangland leader like Daniel Kinahan” might have the opportunity to continue his “elaborate PR campaign of misinformation”.
“The editorial decision to commission such an interview is truly worrying.
“Daniel Kinahan is not some legitimate businessman or guru of boxing promotion.
“His true self is well known by everyone in Dublin and the Irish courts,” he said.
Kinahan was named by gardai in Dublin’s High court as being in control of an international drugs cartel.
His mob are also said to be responsible for some 16 murders in a bloody gangland feud with the Hutch gang.
Despite many of his key allies and lieutenants being locked up in recent years, Kinahan continues to try and paint himself as a legitimate businessman and powerhouse in the sport of boxing — all from the safety of his bolthole in Dubai.
He has regularly been photographed with major boxing figures and boxers — most notably two-time heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury — who has no connections to crime — but who he has reportedly advised.
Despite previously “stepping back” from his role in boxing, Kinahan is continually lauded in public by key boxing figures.
Now it is feared that this could see Kinahan again attempting to cement his image as some sort of normal businessman — and a powerful figure in the world of boxing.
As reported by this paper previously, gardai want to speak to Kinahan in connection with several gangland murders — as well as an attempt to murder Hutch associate James ‘Mago’ Gately in 2017.
They are also understood to be investigating to whether he has been laundering his dirty money through the sport of boxing.
Many of Kinahan’s key lieutenants are now locked up, having been caught in the act carrying out murder plots on the orders of his cartel.
They include Kinahan’s close allies and pals ‘Fat’ Freddie Thompson and Liam Brannigan — while his top man in the UK, Thomas ‘Bomber’ Kavanagh faces further jail time for his role in a conspiracy to import millions of euro worth of cocaine and cannabis into the UK.
After Kinahan’s first major attempt to step into the limelight in 2020 — The Star launched a major campaign to boycott any coverage of the planned Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua bout — after Fury thanked the mob boss for his assistance in brokering a deal.
That boycott was followed by many in the Irish media and beyond — and sparked a backlash against Kinahan’s involvement in the sport.
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