Caoimhe Robinson, who married suspected cartel boss Daniel Kinahan in 2017, now faces an uncertain future as her husband sits in an Irish maximum-security jail. The couple's lavish lifestyle in Dubai, including regular visits to the Burj Khalifa's upmarket restaurant At.mosphere, hangs in the balance following Kinahan's arrest and extradition to Ireland.
Wedding and Background
The couple tied the knot at the "seven-star" Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai, with security tight at the ceremony attended by underworld figures, drug lords, and heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury. They were said to have been perched on thrones under a giant chandelier.
Kinahan was arrested in Dubai in April amid a crackdown on international crime as the United Arab Emirates seeks to protect its status as an economic powerhouse. Many of those in the ranks of the "super cartel" at the wedding have been detained and deported. He was extradited to Ireland, where authorities believe him to be the head of the Kinahan Organised Crime Group (KOCG) founded by his father Christy Kinahan Sr.
Previous Relationship
Caoimhe, who grew up in a council estate in Darndale, North Dublin, was previously in a long-term relationship with Irish drug lord Michael "the Panda" Kelly, a suspect in several murders. She met him in her early 20s, but her world was shattered in September 2011 when Kelly was gunned down in North Dublin. His assassin shot him 14 times before reversing a car over his body, shortly after she gave birth to their only child.
Dissident paramilitary group the Real IRA claimed the hit. After his death, "RIRA anti-drugs. Micka Kelly drug dealer dead" was spray-painted on a wall in their Northside stronghold. Their leader Alan Ryan was later gunned down in retaliation.
Life in Dubai
Three years later, Caoimhe was introduced to Kinahan while on holiday in Spain, where the cartel's operations were headquartered at the time. She moved to the Costa del Sol to be with him, and they enjoyed a lavish life in and around Marbella, where Kinahan had set up a boxing management company and gym. In 2016, they moved again after Kinahan fled to Dubai following a feud with a rival gang that resulted in an attempt on his life at a boxing weigh-in in Dublin.
David Byrne, who had links to the cartel, was shot dead during the incident, but Kinahan was widely thought to have been the intended target. The gulf city, which at the time had no extradition agreement with Ireland, was awash with wanted criminals. The Kinahan family were able to live freely and are accused of running a criminal enterprise that allegedly spanned five continents.
Google reviews that Christy Sr posted under an alias, uncovered by the investigative group Bellingcat, demonstrate that the family barely faced any restrictions on their freedoms. One review of Dubai's City Walk shopping precinct read: "Wonderful place to stroll around, particularly in the evening, lots of restaurants to choose from. Family (child) friendly, relaxed chilled out atmosphere. I unreservedly rate this area five-star but not cheap."
Impact of Arrest
Caoimhe and her husband were said to be regulars at the upmarket French restaurant At.mosphere, on the 122nd floor of the Burj Khalifa, the Dubai skyscraper in which the Burj Al Arab is also located. She was known to spend time at the hotel's luxury beach club. There is a fear this lifestyle may come crashing down after Kinahan's arrest. Her close pal Anita Freeman has ditched her luxury lifestyle in Dubai to return to Ireland after her partner Sean McGovern was jailed for his role in the cartel.
However, family friend and former gangster Marvin Herbert says Caoimhe won't be fazed by her husband's arrest. He said: "She wouldn't be his wife if she couldn't deal with his life. She knew what she was marrying into - it's life in the fast lane."
