Two men who ran an "online drugs supermarket" for one of the gangs at the centre of the Drogheda feud have been jailed.
Dean Thornton, 28, and Gary Kelly, 31, both with addresses in Moneymore, Drogheda, pleaded guilty to facilitating an organised crime group.
The men were sentenced before Dundalk Circuit Court.
Dean Thorton was jailed for seven and a half years, while Gary Kelly was jailed for six years and nine months.
Thornton had also pleaded guilty to money laundering charges, while Kelly has also admitted to money laundering and drug dealing offences.
The two men ran a 'sub-cell' of the Boylan organised crime group.
They also set up and ran an online shop called 'Poundland' to sell drugs via social media platforms between July 2023 and December 2024.
The court previously heard that Thornton identifies as a rapper and intends to pursue a music career following his release from prison.
A logo for the Poundland shop featured prominently in his music video.
Judge Dara Hayes described the set up as an "online supermarket for drugs" through which customers received weekly messages telling them what drugs were available.
The court previously heard that the two men's social media handles included "factional gangland references".
Judge Hayes said that Thornton's rap videos were used as a "marketing tool" for drug dealing.
The court heard that Thornton was a level above Kelly in the organisational structure.
The judge said that this was serious offending, and that both men were prominent members of the organised crime group.
He said that the sub-cell was centrally involved in the group's activities.
Judge Hayes said that the men were not low-level drug dealers, ensnared by addiction or debt, and while they were not "at the top", he said they were "prominent members".
In passing sentence, Judge Hayes said that the organised crime group had a significant role in the distribution of drugs in the Louth and Meath area which was a particular scourge on Drogheda.
He said that the group was involved in serious violence and feuding, and the two defendants played a "significant role" in that.
Both men have been in custody since January last year.
Thornton was sentenced to eight years and nine months in prison, with the final 15 months suspended.
Kelly was sentenced to eight years in prison, with 15 months suspended.
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Gardaí investigating the activities of the Boylan Organised Crime Group gave evidence to the court at a previous sentence hearing.
Detective Garda Niall McManus told the court the men were involved in a sub-cell of the Boylan Organised Crime Group and were operating an online virtual shop called Poundland between July 2023 and December 2024.
The purpose of the shop was to sell cocaine and cannabis on social media apps Instagram and Telegram.
The court heard the apps were monitored by the drugs unit and there were weekly messages posted on them about the types of strains of cannabis and cocaine that were for sale.
Gardaí said an analysis of their personal Instagram accounts found the Poundland pages were operated by the two men.
When the Instagram account was first set up, they were the first followers of the page using their personal accounts.
The court heard they created their own Poundland logo, which was also seen in a music video promoting Thornton's rap career.
The logo also appeared on drug packages that were sold to undercover gardaí as part of the investigation.
The court heard the Poundland pages were operated by the two men.
Their personal usernames had the letters AMF at the end which the court heard stood for "anti-Maguire faction", a reference to the other side of the Drogheda feud.
Gardaí said there was a command structure where Thorton was a level above Kelly and there was evidence they worked for the Boylan organised crime group.
Thornton and Kelly have both been in custody since their arrests in January 2025.
After his arrest, the court was told Thornton made admissions to say that he had been involved in criminal activity in the recent past but that he has been wanting to leave it behind him and he regrets his involvement.
Nothing of evidential value was obtained through garda interviews with Kelly.
Thornton has 18 previous convictions
The court heard Thornton has 18 previous convictions.
Defence Barrister James McGowan said he had been exposed to criminality from a young age and that he had offered a guilty plea at a relatively early stage.
He noted that a trial from this complex investigation would have been expensive.
He told the court that Thornton had admitted his involvement in drug dealing and indicated his intention to move away from it.
He said his client identifies himself as a rapper and that…
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