Gangland funerals: An insight into the criminal fraternity and an intelligence gathering opportunity for gardaí

In recent years the funerals of young victims of gangland violence have been marked by different scenes including, at times, a celebration of their lifestyle

Tue May 7 2024 – 06:00

The recent funeral of former Dublin heroin kingpin Tony Felloni was a muted affair.

A very small group of family members gathered at St Saviour’s Church on Dominic Street in Dublin 1 for the Mass. No death notice was published in advance, there was no eulogy and nobody said even the briefest of words about the man dubbed King Scum by the media.

Aged 81 when he died last month, Felloni had served three prison sentences for heroin dealing, including a 20-year stretch imposed in 1996, from which he was released in 2011. Though he was in poor health, including being HIV positive, Felloni survived for longer than anyone expected after his release from jail. But the last time he was active in drug dealing in Dublin was in the mid 1990s.

That, perhaps, explains the absence of a Garda presence at his funeral. As gangland funerals go, it was very much out of step with recent trends.