IT WAS the funeral mass that showed how godfather Christy Kinahan's crime gang has split families apart. 

The silver-haired businessman is currently at the centre of a probe into 'Dapper Don' Christy Kinahan's multi-million euro drugs business. Dunne (32) was given special permission to fly back from Spain - where he is currently on bail - for his dad, Brian's, burial last week.

The 'dry-cleaning' boss is one of the Dapper Don's closest pals and his luxury villa on the Costa Del Sol was raided by Spanish cops last May.

A source said Matthew's close links with the Kinahan mob has caused "serious tensions" within his extended family.

Last year, Kinahan (53) is believed to have sanctioned a hit on Matthew's first cousin, Eamon 'the Don' Dunne. A notorious criminal who was in charge of laundering cash for Kinahan was recently arrested in connection with the murder.

But despite this fact, The Don's family turned out in force for the funeral which was held in St Patrick's Church, Esker, Co Dublin. The mourners included the slain crimelord's brother, David, and his father, Eamon snr.

Last May, David sparked fury when he described his mobster brother as a "role model" during his funeral mass. He told mourners: "If I turn out to be half the man he did, I'll be doing alright."

A source told the Sunday World that there has been tension between some members of the Dunne family in recent times.

"There has been some tension between some members of the Dunne family over how The Don was killed.

"Everyone would have known that Matthew was close to the Kinahan family.

"Eamon Dunne's father and Matthew's dad are brothers, even though nobody made the connection at the time he was arrested."

He added: "Christy's son, Daniel, also applied for permission to return to Ireland for the funeral."

The Don was regarded as the biggest drug dealer operating in Ireland before he was executed last April. The notorious cocaine fiend is believed to have ordered the murder of 17 people during a terrifying four-year reign as leader of a north Dublin drugs gang.

Gardai are working on the theory that The Don's murder was sanctioned by Kinahan who believed he was bad for business. Two of the five people arrested in connection with The Don's murder would be regarded as key members of the Kinahan gang.



A source told the Sunday World that Eamon and Matthew Dunne would have been close when they were young kids.

"They would have played together a lot as kids and stayed in touch after that.

"I don't think either of the families know what to make of the Kinahan connection.

"They are decent people who aren't involved in crime, the only thing they know about who killed Eamon is what they read in the papers."

Matthew - who has no serious criminal convictions - is currently being investigated by both the Spanish authorities and the Criminal
Assets Bureau in Ireland. He has not been charged with any offence in Malaga but is on bail until the investigation is complete.

On the same day his Spanish villa was being raided last year, gardai - including members of the Criminal Assets Bureau and the National Drugs Unit - also searched his home in Carperterstown, West Dublin.

Detectives seized a number of laptops, computers, USB sticks documents and three Rolex watches during the raid on 25 May, 2010.The silver-haired businessman was not picked up by cops at either location after the raids.





However, Dunne was arrested by Dutch police in October as he prepared to board a plane in Amsterdam's Schipol Airport and extradited to Spain.

Matthew, who is originally from Kings Inn Street, is close pals with Kinahan's two sons, Christy jnr and Daniel, and is a childhood pal of armed robber Gary Hutch.

It is believed that Christy jnr was the best man at Dunne's wedding a couple of years ago. Hutch, who is regarded as 'Fat' Freddie Thompson's right-hand man, is also under investigation for his links to the Spanish-based drugs gang.

Since the raids, Dunne has launched a legal bid to have his property returned by the police. He is also demanding the return of a number of "personal" items - including what is described as Muhammed Ali memorabilia.

Hearing

In May, a Garda property hearing in Dublin District Court was adjourned after the court was told that Dunne was on bail in Spain and unable to leave the jurisdiction. He had also applied for documentation belonging to Johanna Ivers to be returned to her.

Ms Ivers is listed as the co-owner of two properties in Dublin with Dunne, including a home in Woodford Park, Clondalkin and an apartment in Fernleigh Drive, Castleknock.

Dunne is also listed as a director of the dry cleaning firm, Impress Ventures Limited, which is based in Blanchardstown, West Dublin.





Last month, the Sunday World exclusively revealed that Christy snr had been arrested on foot of an extradition warrant from Belgium where authorities want him to serve four years for money-laundering. He is believed to have currently left Daniel in charge of his criminal empire while he languishes in jail in Madrid awaiting the proceedings.

Daniel (34) is regarded the brains of the second generation Kinahan gang and the one his father is relying on to keep the family name at the top of international organised crime circles. Daniel was named in a trial of Dutch drug trafficker Johannes Joopie Altepost, who supplied his father.

In 2009, one of Daniel's closest pals was discovered in a suitcase in a Dutch canal. The body of drug dealer Keith Ennis had been mutilated, his head and arms severed before he was stuffed into the case.

Daniel enjoys all the trappings of the wealth his father's drug business has brought. In 2009 he bought a stunning villa near Marbella and spent hundreds of thousands of euro renovating it.