The Indo Daily: Drugs lord Larry Dunne and his plague of heroin on Dublin

He was Ireland's first drugs kingpin who ushered in a new era of organised crime. The Indo Daily hears more about the life of Larry Dunne, how he introduced heroin to Ireland, and the trail of destruction that followed.

Host: Siobhán Maguire. Guest: Paul Williams

Larry Dunne (centre, wearing suit) had more than 40 convictions, including supplying heroin and cocaine PIC RollingNews.ie

March 08 2023 02:30 AM

In the early 1980s, parts of Dublin were crippled by a drugs epidemic. Heroin, introduced in the late 1970s, soon flooded the flat complexes and neighbourhoods of inner-city Dublin, as children as young as 12 fell victim to the drug.

Dublin gangster Larry Dunne and his highly organised crime network was believed to be behind its introduction and while concerned parents in these communities came together to hunt drug dealers out of their neighbourhood, the damage had already been done.

With the nickname of 'Larry doesn't carry', his was an operation with young 'runners' spreading his drugs around the capital. Even when caught, Dunne managed to slip away and absconded to Portugal for two years, before being found.

Presenter Siobhán Maguire is joined by the Irish Independent's Special Correspondent, Paul Williams, to hear about Dunne, his childhood, and the long-lasting damage he did to Dublin and beyond.