Irish Prisons See 34 Gangs in 2025, Up From 19, Amid Overcrowding and Contraband

The Irish Prison Service (IPS) identified 34 different criminal gangs in 2025, a significant increase from 19 the previous year. This rise coincides with several major crime bosses, including Kinahan cartel leader Sean McGovern, being incarcerated, and efforts to extradite Daniel Kinahan.

Prison officers face complex challenges in separating these groups daily. For instance, Mountjoy Prison houses 16 different groups requiring separate exercise times. Inmates affiliated with the Kinahan group are held in Mountjoy's C and D wings, while the 'Gucci Gang' and Hutch Organised Crime Group members are in Wheatfield Prison. The IPS manages numerous other criminal organizations, including those involved in smaller, familial turf wars that escalate within prisons.

Overcrowding exacerbates these issues, with Mountjoy operating at 137% capacity, leading to 65 male and 42 female prisoners sleeping on floors recently. Over 130 prison officers were assaulted last year, which POA President Redmond attributes to overcrowding, enabling organized crime to thrive. He noted an alarming scale of drugs, phones, and weapons, with gangs controlling contraband operations for profit.

In 2025, drug seizures increased by 28% to 1,325, and weapon seizures by 70% to 441, compared to the previous year. However, arrests within prisons decreased by 20% to 84. Redmond reported 384 detected drone drops last year, but specialized mesh netting in Wheatfield, Mountjoy, and Cloverhill prisons has dramatically reduced drops. The POA advocates for netting over all exercise yards, but IPS Director General Caron McCaffrey cited the enormous cost, preferring an intelligence-led approach for targeted installation.