Attempted drug-trafficking for Sinaloa cartel saw Ballyseedy garden centre boss lose his livelihood and freedom
Three friends left the Donegal pub at closing time. Eight days later, a body was pulled from the sea at Sliabh Liag
The trail led to Ballyseedy Garden Centre, where gardaí mounted a surveillance operation and on February 12th, 2024, they watched McDonnell forklift a machine designed to separate metals into a container to be transported to the Port of Cork for export to Australia. A familiar face on the local social scene with his Dublin-born wife, Jackie O’Duffy, McDonnell cut a dashing figure around Tralee in his Porsche and designer clothes. He participated in the Ballymac Strictly Come Dancing competition and judged the Best Dressed Man Competition at the Listowel Races.
It was while he was running the company’s second garden centre at Carrigtwohill in Co Cork that he was approached by Down Syndrome Cork seeking sponsorship for their Tour de Munster. This was the start of his growing involvement with the charity. But while the business had expanded to a total of 11 companies with a combined turnover of almost €5 million, behind the facade all was not well. A €4 million loan taken out in 2007 to expand the business continued to weigh heavily on the balance sheet.
In the photo taken by local photographer Domnick Walsh when he was first charged at Tralee District Court, McDonnell looked haunted, grey and gaunt.“Nathan was an imposing figure, a tall handsome man and very engaging company,” said one local in Tralee. “He was in the media a lot and was a very good speaker at events, and he was involved in a lot of charity gigs, so there was a real shock when the news broke that he was involved in the drugs business.
Yet another local, who acknowledged McDonnell was a good employer, said that there was huge sympathy for his mother, who is now in her 70s, particularly given the hard work she put into building up the business over the past 30 years.
Sinaloa Cartel Ballyseedy Garden Centre Crystal Meth
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