Cocaine Cowboys: The Deadly Rise of Ireland's Drug Lords

by Nicola Tallant

COCAINE COWBOYS tells the story of Ireland’s love affair with cocaine since it first washed ashore on Cork’s rugged coast to the billion-euro trade it has become. From Ireland’s first cocaine lord and his attempts to establish a direct route from Miami to Dublin to the modern-day violence that led to the brutal dismemberment of teenager Keane Mulready Woods, the book will follow the stories and the increasing chaos that has engulfed those desperate for a slice of this modern day gold rush. Along the way it details how cocaine has woven bonds between high society and the underworld, tracing the deal that killed the model Katy French and detailing how the Kinahan Cartel and Ireland’s one time richest and most influential family joined forces to wash dirty money.

Genres: Audiobook, Nonfiction, Irish Literature, Crime

256 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2023

Reviews

[Adam Melia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting but jumps too quickly from one story to another and can be difficult to follow

[Tony · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved The Witness by the same author so was really excited to pick this up. Found it an interesting read but sometimes Nicola opened up about certain aspects of the trade I found really interesting but didn't delve too deep into them. I found the book jumps from European and international drug trade then quickly turns back to more local and emotional tragic drug tales like that of Katie French, then back again. Each time I got invested into a story or aspect of the subject, I felt the chapter ended too quickly and moved onto something completely different. Would recommend but felt it could have been more fleshed out. Only took a couple of days to read and I feel like I had only just started by the time it finished.

[Ali · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really looking forward to reading this book from Nicola, as I enjoyed listening to Web of Betrayal.

Cocaine Cowboys delves into the world of organised crime and how the use of cocaine has become thoroughly integrated into Irish society. It mentions the big names such as Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch, the Kinahan’s and the Mansfield’s, but it fails to provide a clear narrative.

I felt like it was jumping from one story to the next. There was a lot of information and facts about everyone involved so it was evidently well researched, but I just don’t think it read well and to be honest I found it confusing to follow.

I had hoped to enjoy this book more as I am interested in drug stories…. some of my favourite shows are Love/Hate, Kin, Narcos… all of which include storylines that are similar to if not the exact same as to what has happened in the lives of ganglands which control the drug dealing trade.

I shall be on the lookout for a book that can tell a story while also providing a lot of facts about this captivating topic !

[Georgina Reads_Eats_Explores · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nicola Tallant is an Irish investigative journalist focusing on organised crime networks.

Her third book, Cocaine Cowboys, follows the growth of cocaine supply and demand in Ireland. It is a gripping, if rather unnerving, tale of a white gold rush and the cowboys who created a Wild West style frontier both here and abroad while becoming multi-millionaires in the process. This is a story of money, misery and murder.

Ireland has the highest usage of cocaine in the European Union, according to the European Drug Report 2023. But why? Well, conceivably, it seems to have a cool image - a party drug with perceived few ill effects (you’d think differently after spending a shift or two in A&E!) - far distant from the total shame attached to the heroin that had blighted underprivileged areas before.

In an interview with Pat Kenny, Tallant notes that middle-class people are very particular about “where their avocado comes from”, but “when it comes to cocaine, they don't know, and they don’t care”. The average user doesn't seem to see the link between them buying a line of coke and funding the criminal activities (violent feuds, witness intimidation, money laundering and kidnapping, to name but a few) and the lifestyles of these gang members - and I don't mean the children, yes children, who are being groomed and radicalised into the gangs ready to take the fall for their masters.

Tallant’s journalistic finesse is evident in the amount of detail she weaves in this tapestry of characters from the OCG drug lords down to the impoverished growers and drug mules and often grim stories of Ireland's own Narcos. 4⭐

Many thanks to @eriubooks for sending me an advance copy; this, as always, is an honest review.

[Tim Bush · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read due to being from one of the areas written about though I found it jumps around from scenario to scenario quite a bit which is hard to keep a track of what’s going on.

[James Durkan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Christmas audiobook for up the Mayo and back down to Kilkenny.

I enjoyed it. Nicola Tallaght has a serious talent (see what I did there) of giving the facts. I remember the Katy French incident well. I never knew the true ins and outs of it though. Wild. Sad.

But while the before and afters is informativ, it was ok. I found very matter of fact if not too matter of fact. Cocaine is bad mkay.

[Sheima Fakhruddin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book has no story line. It’s a mix of all the drug lord names. Parts of it is interesting on how the drugs are navigated from South America to Europe but after a while with the constant new names of people, you lose interest.

[Colm · Rating 2 out of 5]

A disjointed, time-hopping who's-who of the Irish cocaine business

This book could have been better and easier to follow with a more organised narrative. All but the last few chapters seem to have any structure. The first few follow a formula for every paragraph: Introduce a new figure, their nickname, an anecdote without much detail, information on how they were caught or killed, a weak connection to another figure, repeat. Time periods don't seem to matter in this person hopping, at one stage going from the 90's to the 60's to the 00's.

It's disappointing because the author clearly has the information and knowledge, but poor editing and a lack of detail let it down (the book is only 250 pages)

For example, the author skims past the likes of: air ambulances being used by Irish cartels to shift drugs across Africa; tracked parcels of cocaine being picked up by fishermen off the coast of Cork; and private planes filled with drugs flying in under the radar. Each was detailed in a sentence. I want to know more! Maybe it's just me, but I find those blind/weak spots in our law enforcement more interesting than an endless list of gang murders through the years.

[Martin Mcginley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Gripping and Well-Researched True Crime Story

Nicola Tallant’s Cocaine Cowboys is a fascinating deep dive into the world of drug trafficking, organized crime, and the figures who built their empires on cocaine smuggling. With sharp investigative journalism and a fast-paced narrative, Tallant uncovers the shocking realities of the drug trade and its far-reaching consequences.

The book does an excellent job of blending true crime storytelling with well-researched facts, making it both informative and highly engaging. Tallant brings the key players to life, detailing their rise, rivalries, and inevitable downfalls. The mix of interviews, insider accounts, and historical context adds depth to the story.

While the book is compelling, at times, the sheer amount of detail can be overwhelming, and some sections feel a bit drawn out. However, for anyone interested in crime, drugs, and the inner workings of criminal networks, Cocaine Cowboys is a must-read. A solid 4 stars for its depth, storytelling, and investigative insight.

[Aoife · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is in no way a salacious article featured in a tabloid. This is years of meticulous research tied together to show the reader the grim and grisly realities of the crime underworld.

The reader hears about the dynasties and how this new generation have transformed from cocaine cowboys to instagram gangsters. This new era of cowboys are addicted to the lifestyle, the labels and the lure of the notoriety. This book is factual about the double crossing, the seizures, the honey traps and retributions. I thought maybe it was too factual, emotionless and dispassionate, but I was probably looking for more drama than I was going to get.

[Vanessa (Nessreadsalot) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cocaine Cowboys details Irelands relationship with cocaine from it's first arrival to our shores to how it has now infiltrated the nation to make Ireland now have the highest cocaine use in the EU. 

This was an interesting book with a wealth of information. Some may find it hard to follow all the names of gangland criminals involved but having even an incidental knowledge of the main players from news reports will help you follow along. 

Definitely a worthwhile listen to show how something that has become so common is fuelling such a dangerous and often chaotic criminal underworld. 

[Annemarie O'Donovan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this. I’m a huge fan of the Irish true crime scene so a lot of it I had already heard in podcasts or read in other books but I still really enjoyed it. The Katy French stuff was good, some of it I hadn’t heard. Marcus S being mentioned gave me a giggle because of his tik tok rants last year.

I found some of it jumpy, it could have flowed better in parts but it’s still very good. I’m going to the live show of it in a few weeks so I’m really excited for that.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so interesting, every single sentence was jam packed with information. Harrowing and sarcastic, Nicola Tallant has a great style of writing. My only issue with the book was due to the unbelievable depth of detail it was hard to follow at times and I often got lost in the detail. I couldn't always keep the thread of the story. It wasn't clear to me what path the story was following, if it was chronologically organized or otherwise, which again made it hard to keep up.

[Shane Colton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decent book if you're into Irish true crime. The book started off a bit unstructured but found its rhythm as it got into the book. An awful amount of documenting whose who and what's what. Kudos to the author keeping track of everyone and their latest crime dealing.

[Patty · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was well written and very informative, but I think would’ve been better for someone from Ireland (I’m from the USA). They referenced so many people and places or famous murders/events in Ireland, etc. that I wasn’t familiar with, which made it a little harder to follow.

[Keith Taylor · Rating 2 out of 5]

The chapter, late in the book, on law enforcement hacking into, and in one case creating, criminals' encrypted communication networks, was interesting. But for the most part, the book is an unstructured and tedious catalog of vicious young thugs killing their bosses to move up and then suffering the same fate a few years later.

[Joseph Whelan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book. It is an in-depth look at the the massive drugs trade in Ireland. Hilights the terrible violence and death behind the supply of Ireland's favourite party drug

[Alanna Davitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can be hard to follow at times as it jumps around on stories but it is was a very interesting insight into the cocaine world in not just Ireland but all over the world

[Paul Carey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good and informative

[Tina Mulcahy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Irish drug underworld and how society helps keep them afloat.

[Cian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Shockingly boring. The only bit I was interested in were the funny nicknames the dealers got, like 'the Penguin'

[Roryhogan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't finish this book. Too many names.. events.. situations..
It's reads like a collection of facts..

[Ciaran Mulhair · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5/5
Hard to follow with the constant naming of different criminals, not very well written.
Some interesting aspects.

[Elena · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a really interesting listen. I’ve lived in Ireland for 7 years and this book brought me up to speed with the who’s who in Irish crime and gang land wars, a lot of stories/headlines I’d heard of but not understood, or known the full story. At times things moved very swiftly and I struggled to keep up, but it mainly all came together.

[Kajamac · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting but I found the individual stories a bit disjointed.

[Jamie Bookboy Fitzpatrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Often hard to follow but interesting enough

[Gayle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enough to turn me off horse racing!