TWO homes seized by the Garda Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) that were associated with the son of a murdered Limerick crime boss, and deemed to be proceeds of crime, were this week advertised for sale by public auction.
The two three-bedroom properties, along with three cars and €100,000, were declared proceeds of crime by the High Court last June.
The court accepted Garda evidence that Kieran Keane Jr, originally of St Mary’s Park, but believed to be living between Spain and Dubai, was a “driving force” in organised crime.
The two properties, each located in Limerick, will go under the hammer at BRG Gibson Auctions Ltd on February 26. The funds from the sale will go towards the exchequer.
Keane’s late father, Kieran Keane Sr, was kidnapped, tortured, shot in the head and his body dumped on a country lane at Drombana, County Limerick, in January 2003.
Five members of the McCarthy Dundon crime gang, rivals of the Keane gang, were jailed for life for the murder.
Keane Sr’s nephew, Owen Treacy, was kidnapped and stabbed 17 times in the same attack, however he survived.
Mr Treacy’s evidence for the State against the five McCarthy Dundon associates secured their convictions following their trial at the Central Criminal Court in December 2003.
Gardaí told the High Court that Kieran Keane Jr is involved in organised crime and has invested large sums of cash in luxury goods, cars, and property.
Despite Keane Jr’s having little or no recognisable source of legitimate income, he had ties to at least three homes, cars, and had also travelled to Spain, Dubai, the UK, and Lapland.
The court also found that nothing was offered as to the source of €101,000 in an AIB bank account.
Mr Justice Alexander Owens accepted CAB’s belief in evidence on affidavit that Keane Jr had allegedly associated with a number of known criminals and that he was an alleged “driving force” in organised crime.
One of the two properties up for auction on February 26 has a guide price of €120,000.
The three-bed, end of terrace property, located at The Path, Garryowen, has an estimated stamp duty of €1,200. It is situated off Garryowen Road in an “established residential area” 10 minutes from the city centre.
The second property up for auction, located at Sarsfield Court, Garyowen, Pennywell, Limerick, and guiding at €100,000, is a three-bed terrace home, also a short distance from the city centre.
According to the auction ad, bidders must complete their registration to bid for the two properties by February 24, and must have their bidder security paid and supporting information uploaded to the auction site.
A notorious gang feud in the mid 2000s between the Keane and McCarthy Dundon gangs led to numerous killings in the city that contributed to the signing into law of anti-gangland legislation following the deaths of two innocent men, Shane Geoghegan in 2008 and Roy Collin in 2009.
In June 2015, Kieran Keane Jr’s uncle, Christy Keane, a convicted drug dealer, survived an assassination attempt when he was shot at close range on the grounds of University of Limerick as he was about to attend an early morning gym session at the UL Sports Arena.