Boylan Brothers Named as Key Figures in Drogheda Feud, Linked to Multiple Attempted Murders

 The long-running and deadly Drogheda gangland feud has taken a dramatic turn, with Irish authorities formally identifying Keith and Josh Boylan as central figures in the Boylan Organised Crime Group—suspected of orchestrating several violent attacks, including the attempted murder of rival gang leader Owen Maguire.

The Gardaí’s revelations emerged during sentencing proceedings in a money laundering case involving three women connected to the group. For the first time, Garda John Walsh of Drogheda Garda Station named the Boylan brothers as leaders of one of the two principal factions in the Drogheda drug trade. The pair, aged 30 and 26 respectively, are from the Moneymore area of Drogheda.

"The Boylan Organised Crime Group is one of the two feuding factions involved in the large-scale importation and distribution of drugs," Garda Walsh told Dundalk Circuit Court. "Keith Boylan has been identified as the head of the Boylan OCG, with his brother Josh considered second in command."

The gang has been implicated in the attempted assassinations of Owen Maguire—who was left paralysed from the chest down following a 2018 shooting—and his brother Brendan, who survived a targeted attack the following year. The gunman in the Owen Maguire shooting, widely believed to be slain hitman Robbie Lawlor, reportedly declared “These are from Keith” before opening fire at the Mell Halting Site in Drogheda on July 5, 2018.

A sworn affidavit submitted during a 2022 Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) case against the Maguire brothers supports the belief that Robbie Lawlor was acting on behalf of the Boylan OCG when he carried out the attack. Lawlor was described as an associate of Keith Boylan, and the incident is seen as the catalyst for the brutal Price-Maguire vs. Boylan gang war.

The feud continued with further violence. On February 26, 2019, Brendan Maguire was shot while seated in a vehicle near Gym Plus in Drogheda. He was struck multiple times but survived after emergency medical care. Gardaí believe members of the Boylan group carried out the shooting.

Further retaliatory and targeted attacks were recorded in the ensuing months, including a shooting in April 2019 at Hardmans Gardens, where a man associated with the Price-Maguire gang sustained non-life-threatening injuries after being shot in the shoulder and leg.

In March 2019, gardaí received intelligence that Keith Boylan had allegedly threatened an associate of Owen Maguire with a pipe bomb and gun attack. Around the same time, Josh Boylan was implicated in the violent kidnapping and assault of Aaron Rochford, who was later found with serious injuries in a bathtub in Moneymore. Five suspects were arrested at the scene.

Rochford had reportedly driven a vehicle containing gas cylinders, one of which exploded at The Boxing Club in Moneymore. Investigators believe the vehicle was destined for the Boylan residence and that the Price-Maguire faction orchestrated the act.

The feud has also seen retaliatory attacks against Keith Boylan himself. He survived two shooting attempts in 2019—one in Donaghmede, Dublin, and another in Drogheda’s Termon Abbey area, where he sustained gunshot wounds to the chin and shoulder.

Despite their identification and the increased scrutiny, sources close to the investigation say the Boylan brothers remain active in the drug trade, operating from overseas bases in Dubai and Thailand. Gardaí believe the public exposure may hinder their ability to recruit drug mules but are not expected to immediately disrupt their operations.

Last week, the Irish Mirror reported that law enforcement anticipates the brothers will be “fuming” over their unmasking after managing to stay unnamed for over seven years. However, the report noted that their influence over drug distribution in Drogheda is likely to persist despite this development.

The feud, one of Ireland’s most violent gang rivalries in recent memory, continues to claim lives and upend communities as authorities intensify their efforts to dismantle both organised crime groups involved.