Tessa Fleming

Seven.

The Indian and Irish.

As Cinehan Cartel Lieutenant Sean McGovern was led away from the Special Criminal Court, he took the time to wink in the direction of his watching relatives.

An act of defiance in the face of a crushing defeat, or a simple personal gesture.

In any event, the Cinehan Empire is falling down, one foundation at a time.

And at the top of this decaying tower sits Daniel Kinahan, currently held in police custody.

The clock has been ticking for quite some time.

But finally, it seems like a day of reckoning is now dawning.

But what of those left behind in the sunshine of Dubai and the shadow of Daniel Kinahan?

Is one of his closest confidants likely to sell him out to save their own skin?

And what kind of conditions should Daniel Kinahan expect to experience should he himself wind up serving a lengthy prison sentence?

I'm Tessa Fleming, and today on the Indo Daily, I'm joined by Sunday Independent senior journalist Maeve Sheehan, Financial Times investigative reporter Miles Johnson, and former prison officer David MacDonald, as we look to the future of a notorious outfit that may soon be consigned to the past.

Maeve, we saw Sean McGovern last Monday jailed for orchestrating the murder of innocent grandfather Noel Kirwan.

Just give us a brief overview of that sentencing then to start with.

McGovern, when he was being walked out of court last Monday, he winked at his relatives as he was being led away to prison.

I'm just wondering your own thoughts on that, Maeve.

Is that something that would have surprised you or do you think that he was really bothered at all by the lengthy prison sentence?

Sean McGovern is now spending the next 24 years in prison.

So what does this mean then for members of the cartel who perhaps may be destined for the same fate?

Now, Daniel Kinahan, who sits at the top of that Kinahan cartel, as we know, is currently in custody in Dubai.