'Word gets around in a small village': Limerick man pressured to store drugs in his attic

A “HELPFUL person in the community” has come before Limerick Circuit Court for storing over €35,000 worth of drugs in his attic.

Garda Kieran Lynch detailed that the drugs squad received “secret and sensitive information”, which prompted a search of Kevin O’Connell’s house in Patrickswell, Limerick on February 20, 2025.

Upon entering his home with a search warrant, 52-year-old Mr O’Connell directed gardaí to his attic, where 1,732 grams of “a green bud-like substance” was uncovered. Mr O’Connell told gardaí that he was only “minding” the drugs.

Barrister Mark Nicholas, defending, said that Mr O’Connell was known to have been struggling financially, and was asked to mind the drugs on two separate occasions at a GAA pitch and a pub.

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According to Mr Nicholas, “the ask is designed to get under your skin”, and Mr O’Connell “wasn’t able to refuse these people”.

State barrister John O’Sullivan, detailing the facts of the case, said that Mr O’Connell was handed the bag of drugs from a car parked at backroads, and was paid €100 a go for holding the drugs. It was put forth that Mr O’Connell did this job five times.

Mr O’Sullivan said that when Mr O’Connell was interviewed by gardai, he relayed that “word gets around in a small village”, and that those who asked him to mind the drugs were aware of his financial situation.

Mr Nicholas told judge Colin Daly that Mr O’Connell fell behind on his mortgage payments - which amount to €1,000 a month.

Judge Colin Daly heard that the man is employed on a part-time basis on a Fás Scheme, and was previously working as a courier for SuperValu, but was later let go.

Mr O’Connell has no previous convictions. In mitigation, Mr Nicholas said that Mr O’Connell fell on considerable financial difficulty. The barrister asked the court to consider “Why someone at his age would find himself doing this?”

He further added that there was no “personal use” of the drugs by Mr O'Connell.

Judge Colin Daly adjourned the sentencing to a date in March.

-Funded by the Court Reporting Scheme