
Infamous gangland killer Cotton Eye' Joe Delaney's jailed son's secret crime past of drugs & gun smuggling raps revealed
Advertisement
2
Scott Knight has been caged for his crimes in another jurisdiction
2
'Cotton Eye' Joe Delaney was Ireland's first ever convicted gangland killer
Credit: Collins
The
His capture earlier this year as he went to board a Dublin-bound ferry from Holyhead in
Knight had become increasingly active against immigration over the past few years on
He backed various protests against asylum seekers entering the country and urged people to join the Irish National Party.
Advertisement
READ MORE IN IRISH NEWS
It put him on the radar of
In one bizarre rant posted online in January, Knight claimed new laws in
And he went on to say that he and seven of his friends have agreed to become a 'firing squad', warning if anyone interferes with children, women or elderly, 'you get the death penalty'.
He said: 'Put up against the wall for the firing squad and take them out. Bang! That's the truth.'
Advertisement
MOST READ IN IRISH NEWS
Latest
Knight added: 'Do not come into this country and interfere with all these children, all these women, all these elderly, or this is what you get. Bang!
'Do you understand? I've another seven people from different counties who want to remain anonymous, and they've agreed to do this with me.'
RAP SHEET REVEALED
Today, The Irish Sun can reveal how Knight has a serious rap sheet across
We have learned he was convicted for drug importation in Eschweiler,
Advertisement
In March 2015, he was stopped at the Coquelles terminal in France by customs officers who discovered two assault rifles, four magazines and 40 rounds of ammunition in the boot of his car.
When authorities searched his phone, they found far right anti-Islam and white nationalist images.
BARRED FROM ENTRY
Delaney did not turn up for his trial in 2019 and was sentenced in his absence to two years in jail and a fine of €1,000. He was also barred from entering
Another conviction was for possession of narcotics in connection with an illegal organisation in Belgium.
Advertisement
We understand Knight also had €18,000 seized from him by authorities in
A source told us: 'This fella is mad but he's someone who can clearly be very dangerous too.
'The Gardai were monitoring him in recent years.
'The funny thing is, he had been ranting and raving about immigration when he has extremely serious convictions throughout Europe himself in other countries. This was for high-level criminality.'
Advertisement
FERRY FAIL
Knight was nabbed this year as he went to board the ferry and was jailed for five years in March.
He pleaded guilty to the production of cannabis at his former address in
Here, Knight's rap sheet goes back to 1991 for malicious damage.
In 1996, he was sentenced to ten years for the murder of Mark Dwyer.
But on appeal the conviction was downgraded to accessory to murder after the fact and the sentence was reduced to five years.
Advertisement
Dwyer was shot dead after being tortured when a bag of 40,000
KILLER DAD
Knight's father, Cotton Eye Joe Delaney, was convicted of Dwyer's murder and was only released from prison in recent years.
Knight was also convicted in 2017 for the possession of narcotics here and got a suspended sentence in 2022 after he stole another man's identity in a bid to apply for a fake
Despite his own criminal record abroad and in Ireland, Knight encouraged people to get out and vote in last November's General Election to 'keep the evil out of Ireland'.
Advertisement
He claimed the main parties were behind immigrants getting citizenship, before adding: 'That means they can vote their family into Ireland. They're going to get millions and millions of Muslims and non-Irish.'
After far right candidates flopped at the polls, Knight claimed the Government 'ripped everyone off'

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Irish Times
an hour ago
- Irish Times
Public finances boosted by another spike in corporate tax receipts
The Government's financial position has been boosted by what Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe described as 'a sharp increase' in corporate tax in June. Exchequer returns for the first six months of the year show the business tax generated €7.4 billion last month, which was €1.5 billion or 25 per cent up on the same month last year. June is the second most important month of the year for corporate tax - behind November - as it reflects payments from companies with financial years ending in December, which include Google, Meta, Microsoft and Intel, all of which have big operations here. After a fall-off in receipts in May, there had been concern that US trade policy uncertainty might be affecting the profitability of these firms. READ MORE But the latest figures, published by the Department of Finance, appeared to dispel those concerns with corporate tax receipts - on a cumulative six-month basis - up 7.4 per cent on last year at €13.1 billion and ahead of the department's own forecasts. Nonetheless Mr Donohoe warned the month-to-month changes highlighted the volatility of corporate tax. 'Corporation tax receipts in June have seen a sharp increase, which follows a sharp decline last month,' he said. 'This serves as a reminder of the extreme volatility in this revenue stream, and of its inherent unsuitability as a basis for permanent spending commitments,' Mr Donohoe said. 'That is why we have established the Future Ireland Fund (FIF) and the Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund (ICNF) to set aside some of this potentially temporary revenue to help further protect us in the future,' he said. 'Last month, Government transferred some €3 billion into the two funds, and when the remaining transfers are made towards the end of this year, there will be around €16 billion in the FIF and ICNF," Mr Donohoe said. The latest exchequer figures showed overall tax receipts were €49.5 billion in the first six months of the year, up by 4.5 per cent on the first half of last year. When once-off tax revenues of €1.7 billion arising from the European court ruling against Apple are excluded, the department said 'underlying' tax revenues stood at €47.7 billion, which was a 6.7 per cent up on last year. On a cumulative six-month basis, income tax receipts of €17.4 billion were 4.3 per cent ahead of last year, reflecting the ongoing strength of the labour market with headline unemployment remaining at a low of 4 per cent. June was a non-VAT-due month and therefore monthly receipts 'relatively modest,' the department said. Cumulative receipts from the transactions tax for the six-month period came to €11.6 billion, up by almost 6 per cent on last year's total at this stage. Total expenditure for the first half of the year amounted to €50.9 billion, up by 8.2 per cent on 2024 and ahead of the department's profile by 0.7 per cent. The Irish Fiscal Advisory Council, the Government budgetary watchdog, is warning that overruns in day-to-day public spending are likely to top €2 billion this year. The department noted that year-on-year capital spending levels have increased substantially, with capital spending up 22.5 per cent overall. Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers said: 'Today's figures show a significant increase in capital expenditure which underscores Government commitment to investing in the infrastructure our community needs and which is critical to enhancing our economic competitiveness,' he said. At a headline level, an exchequer surplus of €4.5 billion was recorded in the first half of the year.


Irish Times
2 hours ago
- Irish Times
Discrimination against sexual and gender minorities in Ireland has increased, UCD study finds
A new report by researchers at University College Dublin (UCD) has found the frequency of discrimination against, and unfair treatment of, sexual and gender minorities in Ireland has increased over the past year. The report published findings from two surveys undertaken in August 2024 and May 2025. Researchers noted an 'escalation in frequency' of discrimination and unfair treatment of LGBTQ+ people in Ireland, as well as an increase in the targeting of LGBTQ+ people. The findings also show support for the rights of transgender people in Ireland. It is part of the Resist project, addressing 'anti-gender' politics and mobilisations across Europe. It says these manifest differently from country to country but broadly encompass movements opposed to gendered freedoms, trans rights, feminism, abortion rights and LGBTQ+ rights. READ MORE The LGBTQ+ acronym stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and queer, with the plus symbol signalling an expansive definition that includes other identities not listed. 'Having been working in this area since 2012, the increase in targeting in the last three years has been phenomenal,' said one of the authors, Prof Kath Browne. 'You can really see the increase in media stories, how people talk and what they'll say.' In August 2024, 7 per cent of lesbian, gay, bisexual or queer survey respondents said discrimination or unfair treatment happened 'often or very often'. When the survey was undertaken again in May 2025, this figure rose to 20 per cent. 'There is an indication of a trend from 7 per cent and 20 per cent, but because of the number of LGBTQ+ people in the survey are quite small, we would need more research to truly understand the effects and implications,' Prof Browne said. The survey dealt separately with the experiences of trans and non-binary respondents, 85 per cent of whom reported facing discrimination sometimes, often or very often in the past year. Seventy-one per cent of lesbian, gay, bisexual and queer respondents reported experiencing hostility because of their political views on feminism or LGBTQ+ rights, compared with 30 per cent of heterosexual respondents. Ninety per cent of trans or non-binary respondents reported experiencing hostility. 'LGBTQ people are more likely to be targeted on their political views, even if they hold the same views as their straight peers,' Prof Browne said. The survey report shows robust support for women's and LGBTQ+ rights in Ireland – 83 per cent of all respondents agreed that gender-based violence is a critical issue that needs more attention and resources. The majority of respondents (69 per cent) expressed support for trans people, agreeing that trans rights are human rights. Support for trans rights was higher among lesbian, gay, bisexual and queer respondents (88 per cent) compared with heterosexual respondents (67 per cent). 'The presumption is there's more of a divide within LGBTQ+ communities in other countries,' Prof Browne said, 'whereas here [in Ireland] we don't see that divide.' On women's rights, 82 per cent of respondents agreed that accessing safe and legal abortion services is an essential component of healthcare. One thousand people were surveyed in August 2024 and in May 2025. Of those surveyed in August, 50 per cent were women, 49 per cent were men, and 1 per cent were trans or non-binary. Of those surveyed, 9 per cent identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual or queer. In May 2025, the percentage of LGBTQ+ people was the same, with women making up 56 per cent of those surveyed, and men 43 per cent. The reported concluded: 'This research demonstrates that there is broad support for LGBTIQ+ people, women's rights and abortion. This exists alongside a rise in the targeting of these groups and of those who support them.'

Irish Times
2 hours ago
- Irish Times
Dublin, Cork, Kerry and Donegal hosting highest numbers of Ukrainian refugees, data shows
Counties Dublin , Cork , Kerry and Donegal are hosting the highest numbers of Ukrainian refugees , according to figures published on Thursday. Some 80,031 Ukrainians are living in the State under the European Union 's Temporary Protection directive , data from the Central Statistics Office ( CSO ) show. A total of 113,917 Ukrainian beneficiaries of temporary protection (BOTP) have come to the Republid since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. However, nearly a third have since left, according to the latest update in the CSO's Arrivals from Ukraine in Ireland series. In June, the European Council voted to extend the directive, which supports the more than four million Ukrainians who have fled the war, until March 2027. READ MORE Some 46 per cent of Ukrainian BOTPs currently living in the State are female, while 26 per cent are male. Figures show 29 cent of all Ukrainian arrivals are aged under 20. Nearly 17,500 Ukrainian children, who have come to the State since 2022, are now enrolled in Irish schools – 60 per cent at primary level and 40 per cent at secondary. Out of the more than 80,000 Ukrainians still living in the State, 10,504 are based in Dublin city and county, with 6,978 in Co Cork, 6,601 in Co Kerry and 6,502 in Co Donegal. Within Dublin, Clondalkin and the north inner city host the highest number of Ukrainian BOTPs, while in Co Cork, Midleton hosts the largest number, according to local electoral area figures. In Co Kerry, Kenmare hosts the highest number of Ukrainians, while Donegal town and Letterkenny have the largest numbers in that county. [ Ireland to back proposal to extend EU protection for Ukrainian refugees into 2027 Opens in new window ] Counties Galway, Mayo, Wexford, Clare and Limerick are also hosting between 3,000 and 4,000 Ukrainian BOTPs, according to census data. Nearly 40,000 Ukrainian BOTPs are living in private hosted accommodation, with 17,097 Irish hosts in receipt of the Government's Accommodation Recognition Payment (ARP). This private accommodation includes housing obtained through the local government Offer a Home scheme, pledges through the Irish Red Cross and private arrangements. In March the Government announced plans to reduce the monthly ARP from €800 to €600. This change came into effect in June, with hosts due to receive their first reduced payment on July 8th. Another 23,400 Ukrainians are currently living in 670 State-supported accommodation centres, according to Government data. However, hundreds of Ukrainians living in nearly 70 of these centres are set to receive correspondence that the contract with their accommodation provider is ending as part of a Government initiative to return centres to tourism, student or private use. Newly arrived Ukrainians BOTPs receive State accommodation for 90 days and a weekly payment of €38.80 for an adult and €29.80 for a child, subject to an income test. More than 21,200 Ukrainian children are in receipt of child benefit, down from 21,774 in April and a peak of 22,558 in February 2024, according to the CSO. Some 10,311 Ukrainian arrivals are receiving pension, illness, disability, caring, supplementary or other financial supports, while 16,145 receive income supports. Some 26,474 Ukrainian arrivals are in employment and earning a mean weekly salary of €538. More than four out of 10 Ukrainians who are working have jobs in the wholesale, transport or accommodation sectors, CSO data shows. Of those Ukrainians with jobs, 57 per cent are female and 43 per cent are male. More than half of Ukrainian refugees who attended Intreo employment events reported their lack of English was a challenge in securing work.