Friends to Foes | 6
Kinahans Downfall
Nicola Bardon
4.8 • 641 Ratings
🗓️ 11 February 2026
⏱️ 46 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
They were once inseparable as they gorged on the proceeds of their criminal empires - the Hutches, Kinahans, Byrnes.
But when David Byrne was killed in 2016 at the Regency, Thomas 'Bomber' Kavanagh came back from the UK to help his Cartel colleagues wage war on the Hutches.
In this episode we go back to 2001 when the young Liam and David Byrne were central characters in the brutal Drimnagh/Crumlin feud, a drugs war between former friends which claimed 16 lives.
We hear from a former associate of the Byrnes and Kinahans who pours doubt on the levels of their brutality - could it all be a misunderstanding?
We see the seeds of a Kinahan/Byrne split as the State takes down the Byrnes and paranoia runs rife - putting the spotlight on the insidious villain James ‘Jaws’ Byrne, the family patriarch who refused to sanction peace.
And why Daniel Kinahan could find no place for his old pal Liam Byrne in his new life in Dubai.
To contact the Kinahans Downfall team, email podcasts@the-sun.ie
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | In 2008, innocent Robert Delaney was shot in the head and the orders of a dissident Republican. |
| 0:07.0 | Why? Because he broke up a pub fight. |
| 0:10.0 | Today, brain damaged. He's neither living nor dead. |
| 0:14.0 | In a new three-part podcast by the Irish Sun, we examined a brutal crime, an insidious underworld, |
| 0:20.0 | and a family's fearless quest for justice. And we meet Robert Delaney. or his son. We examine the brutal crime, an insidious underworld, |
| 0:22.9 | and a family's fearless quest for justice. |
| 0:24.7 | And we meet Robert Delaney. |
| 0:29.2 | This is Robert is available wherever you get your podcasts. |
| 0:33.8 | The following episode may contain some strong language. |
| 0:43.0 | Thomas Bomber Kavanaugh, like Declan Brady, grew up in Drimna in Dublin in the 1960s and 70s. |
| 0:44.2 | Unlike the future quartermaster, he was a volatile and violent young tug, had burglary |
| 0:50.2 | convictions at 18 and was assaulting cops at the age of 21. He was sullen and physically |
| 0:57.3 | imposing. He got seven years back then for possession of a fire. And when he married into the |
| 1:03.5 | Bourne clan, ruled by feared criminal James Jaws or Gemmy Bourne, the seeds of a fruitful and lasting |
| 1:10.8 | criminal partnership were |
| 1:12.7 | sown. |
| 1:14.4 | This is Kinnahans' downfall, the sequel to the international hit podcast, The Kinnahans. |
| 1:19.9 | Brought to you by the Irish son, I'm Damien Lane. |
| 1:23.3 | This is episode six, Friends to Fows. |
| 1:26.7 | If you like what you hear, please subscribe in your favourite podcast platform and give us a like. |
| 1:32.3 | It only takes a sec. |
| 1:34.3 | Thanks. |
... |
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