Martin "The Viper" Foley (born 24 November 1952) is an
Irish criminal. He rose from petty crime to become an associate of
Martin Cahill
Martin Cahill (23 May 1949 – 18 August 1994) was an Irish crime boss from Dublin. He masterminded a series of burglaries and armed robberies. He was shot and killed while out on bail for kidnapping charges. The Provisional Irish Republican Ar ...
. Foley has 40 convictions, and is considered a key figure in the McCormack-Foley crime family from
Crumlin, Dublin
Crumlin () is a Southside (Dublin), Southside suburb of Dublin, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Formerly a rural area, it became heavily built up from the early 20th century onwards. Crumlin is the site of Ireland's largest children's hospital, Ou ...
. He has had several attempts on his life including being shot on five occasions, most recently on 26 January 2008. Foley was shot a number of times outside the Carlisle gym on Kimmage Road West, South Dublin. The men behind the attack were involved in a separate gun feud, which has since run its course because the main players are all either dead or in prison. Foley has kept a lower profile since then.
Early life and family
He was born in
Derry
Derry, officially Londonderry, is the second-largest City status in the United Kingdom, city in Northern Ireland, and the fifth-largest on the island of Ireland. Located in County Londonderry, the city now covers both banks of the River Fo ...
and was one of five children of a couple who moved south to live in Crumlin.
[ He is an uncle of James Quinn.]
Criminal career
A well known Dublin
Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...
gangland criminal, Foley's first conviction was in 1968. Since then he has been a member of Martin Cahill's criminal gang, and jailed for numerous offences including breaking a police officer's jaw.[
In 1982 John Traynor shared information on O'Connor's jewellery manufacturing in ]Harold's Cross
Harold's Cross () is an affluent urban village and inner suburb on the south side of Dublin, Republic of Ireland, Ireland in the postal district List of Dublin postal districts, D6W. The River Poddle runs through it, though largely in an underg ...
with Cahill and his gang.[ In summer 1983 Cahill and Foley were key figures in a ten member gang who took staff hostage and stole £2 million worth of jewels.][
In 1984 the Concerned Parents Against Drugs group claimed that Foley and associates of dealing drugs.][ In response Martin Cahill set up Concerned Criminals Action Committee, which was led by Foley.][ They marched on homes of the Concerned Parents and eventually a truce was reached.][
Paddy Shanahan, a criminal from ]County Kildare
County Kildare () is a Counties of Ireland, county in Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster and is part of the Eastern and Midland Region. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the Local gove ...
approached Foley about stealing paintings from the collection of Sir Alfred Beit.[ In May that year the Cahill gang stole from the collection a total of £30 million worth of paintings.
An attack on 26 January 2008 was the fourth time Foley has been shot; in 1995 outside Fatima Mansions, in 1996 by the convicted murderer Brian Meehan, and in 2000 as he left a swimming pool in ]Terenure
Terenure (), originally called ''Roundtown'', is a middle class suburb of Dublin in Ireland. It is located in the city's D6 and D6W postal districts. The population of all electoral divisions labelled as Terenure was 17,972 as of the 2022 ce ...
. This shooting is believed to be linked to the Crumlin-Drimnagh feud, with Foley aligned to one of the feuding gangs.[Alan Sherry, "History shows crime did not pay for Cahill gang", Sundayworld.com, 8 August 2013.] He was also abducted by the Provisional IRA
The Provisional Irish Republican Army (Provisional IRA), officially known as the Irish Republican Army (IRA; ) and informally known as the Provos, was an Irish republican paramilitary force that sought to end British rule in Northern Ireland ...
in 1984, but escaped following a shoot-out in Phoenix Park
The Phoenix Park () is a large urban park in Dublin, Ireland, lying west of the city centre, north of the River Liffey. Its perimeter wall encloses of recreational space. It includes large areas of grassland and tree-lined avenues, and since ...
between the kidnappers and Gardaí.[
In 2017 a brother of Seán Dunne was awarded €10,000 by a High Court judge as a result of intimidation of him and his family by a "debt collection agency" run by Foley.]Criminal Assets Bureau
The Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) () is a law enforcement agency in Ireland. The CAB was established with powers to focus on the illegally acquired assets of criminals involved in serious crime. The aims of the CAB are to identify the criminally ...
over €1 million in outstanding tax or lose the home he lives in with his wife and daughter.[ The judge gave him 18 months to pay the unpaid taxes and refused an application to allow the family to remain until his daughter turns 18.][ The case has lasted over a decade.]
References
Further reading
*Lyder, Andre. ''Pushers Out: The Inside Story of Dublin's Anti-Drugs Movement''. Victoria, British Columbia: Trafford Publishing, 2005;
External links
An Artful Dodge
time.com
rte.ie
rte.ie
{{DEFAULTSORT:Foley, Martin
1952 births
Living people
Irish crime bosses
Irish gangsters
Kidnapped Irish people
Criminals from Dublin (city)