Ireland
Drug Problem
Drug use in Ireland has been on the rise since the 1960-70s. Illicit drugs,
including LSD and cannabis were used by young individuals early in the 1970s. Other drugs such as opiate
and heroin became more prevalent in the upcoming years. There were many programs that were created to try
and control these situations of drug use and some were successful, while others weren't. One of the biggest goals the programs had were to control the spread of HIV because this was seen as a greater social threat than the use of drugs.
1960s-1970s
The use of drug
problems in Ireland, and especially Dublin, date back to the late 1960s
and early 1970s. During this time multiple drugs, including LSD, cannabis and heroin, were introduced to many individuals who then became
addicted. Drugs were readily available because of the drug lords supplying them in massive quantities.
Around December 1968 a working
party was established to investigate the drug abuse at the time. It was set up by the Minister for Health, Sean Flanagan. This group was set up to provide the
government with information and advise them of the growing issues, but because they had difficulty finding supplies and leads the information in their reports was limited. This new
inner-city problem of drug use in Dublin was already very common at Trinity College Dublin. This school was
described by Dr Hugh Bryne “as a nest and a
hive for the production of LSD”.
1980s
During the 1980s is when the new HIV virus started to become more
prevalent, not only in Ireland but also worldwide.
In Dublin the numbers were increasing rapidly. A Bradshaw report in 1983 showed that many users in the youth age group of
15-24 had already used at least once. Not only were the numbers
staggering, but the report found that Dublin was a base for heroin users and HIV. There were many causes for the outbreak of HIV, including addicts
sharing syringes and more availability of the drugs through drug lords and
criminals. This new issue not only affected those addicted, but on a larger
scale, there was a huge increase in the unemployment and crime rate.
Because of these
new issues that arose, many programs were formed and established by numerous
individuals. Programs such as Concerned Parents Against Drugs
began to protest on the streets of Dublin against
infamous drug dealers and businesses associated with drugs and criminals. Their
goals were to lower the drugs and crime rates; however, their marches were
ineffective and only a small amount of people attended them. Although, the government was very aware of the situation at hand, they had a different stance than those of the Concerned Parents. They believed that
individuals using and addicted to drugs were victims of their own
choices. Because of this stance, the government created the Misuse of Drugs Act in 1984. Some of the other people who tried to control the drug problem included priests, politicians and IRA members.
1990s
In the 1990s drug users hit an all time high. There were 13,460 opiate users in the year 1996 and many were children around the age of 14. Not only was the amount of users
and addicts high, but the HIV and AIDs virus was extremely prevalent. Drugs we being dealt and users were injecting in public streets.
The issue of unemployment was still on the rise and many people chose to immigrate to Great
Brittan and the United States to find a new job and a better life. Users in Ireland would gather in local places, called “flats” to inject drugs. These
“flats” were also the site of many robberies and criminal activities, often times to get money to buy drugs. It was common to see hypodermic needles scattered all over the ground and little
children playing with them. Although the police or "the Garda" knew about these places, the drug lords had so much money that they couldn't touch them.
Ireland's Drug Lords
John Gilligan(picture courtesy of Independant.ie)
It's no wonder that John Gilligan is where he his today, coming from an abusive family and starting down a path of crime at the age of only 15. This troubled childhood was the base for a man who would become one of Ireland's biggest drug lords.
Gilligan was born on March 29, 1952 in a small town just outside Dublin. He married his childhood friend Geraldine, who would later become a big partner in his drug business. Gilligan was a small time crook and was sentenced to four years in prison after being convicted of theft. It was in Portlaoise prison where he gained drug connections and built his reputation. Upon release in 1993, he met up with contacts he had made in prison in Amsterdam and started buying and selling drugs. He quickly cornered the Dublin market. Considered the father of organized crime in Ireland, Gilligan got ahead with his ruthlessness and brains, running one of the most sophisticated crime organizations in Europe. With drugs moving quickly on the streets cash poured in. Within two years Gilligan bought a 77 acre spread called Jessbrooke that he made into an equestrian farm where he bred racing horses.
It was this success that drew the attention of reporter Veronica Guerin. Veronica made contact with Gilligan's right hand man John "the coach" Traynor, who became her silent informant. This bothered Gilligan who told Traynor that if he was named in the newspaper, Traynor would be the one to pay for it. He reportedly brutally beat Guerin at his estate when she came to question him. He also made a threat to rape Guerin's son.
After Guerin's death in 1996, authorities came after Gilligan but couldn't build a case that he had ordered the hit and he was acquited of her murder. They did charge him with drug charges, sentencing him to a record breaking 28 years in prison. After several appeals, regarding the seizure of his estate and assets, the the state finally took control and now owns his assets. He is currently serving out the rest of his sentence in Portlaoise where his criminal life began.
John Traynor (photo courtesy of citizensfreepressofIreland.com)
Like Gilligan, Traynor started out on the wrong path, drifting towards crime at a young age. Born in Dublin in 1948, he got involved with local gangster Martin Cahill and his gang. From them he learned all the tricks of the trade, being involved in petty crimes such as robbery, and prostitution. It was in Cahill's gang that he met up with John Gilligan who would later become his boss in a gang of his own.
In addition to smuggling drugs and organizing robberies with Gilligan, Traynor ran several prostitution houses in Dublin. It is thought that there, along with the Netherland casinos, is where most of the drug money was laundered. In 1992 Traynor was busted by British authorities who arrested him in a sting operation involving selling stolen bonds. He was supposed to serve seven years in prison but he fled authorities and went into hiding after being allowed to visit his family.
Traynor become involved with Veronica Guerin as an informant and guide to the Ireland world of drugs. After Guerin threatened to post names it was Traynor that hired a man to go to her home where she was shot in the leg. He was also allegedly involved in tipping off Guerin's assassins to her whereabouts the morning of her death. Although he was never charged with either of the shootings, Traynor fled to Spain shortly after the death of Guerin and has been hiding in Spain and the Netherlands ever since. Although he was out of the country he still remained heavily involved in drugs and crime. He was recently extradited back to Great Britain where he was wanted to finish the rest of his seven year sentence.
"The monk" Gerry Hutch (Photo courtesy of sundaywordl.ie)
Born in 1963 in inner-city Dublin Gerry Hutch also had a rough childhood that lead him to a life of crime starting at age 10. He became involved with the Bugsy Malone gang, along with many other youngsters in his neighborhood. They were famous for "jump-overs" where they would jump over the counters at banks, grab some cash, and jump back. These quick ambush type attacks would eventually land him in jail in 1985. This is where he received the nickname "Monk" for being a disciplined and modest kind of guy.
Once out of jail the Monk vowed never to return. This didn't mean that he would turn away from crime. He did steer clear of drugs and drug use, but he returned to what he knew, which was robberies. He was known for orchestrating detailed plans to get away with robberies. One of his biggest was the armed robbery of a security depot at Clonshaugh in 1996, where he stole over 3 million pounds. Another large robbery he organized was of an armored van at Marino Mart in January 1997, where he stole almost 2 million pounds.
Because of his planning and expertise, Ireland police were unable to pin either crime on him. He would stay true to his vow never to return to prison, but years later crime caught up with him. The Criminal Assets Bureau of Ireland seized almost all of his assets, putting him in the poor house. He is currently living in Dublin where he runs a local Boxing Club and owns a limousine service.
