Tommy Robinson: Far-right activist boasts of family links to Kinahan cartel

Robinson has used several second names in his career agitating protesters but has spoken about his mother’s Irish roots.

This week, he was photographed with Anthony ‘Harpo’ O’Driscoll a convicted criminal whose brother Dee Dee has run a drug enterprise for decades.

The O’Driscolls are from Ballyfermot where Cunningham and his brother Michael began their criminal careers in Martin ‘The General’ Cahill’s gang.

John Cunningham is a long-time associate of Christy Kinahan and was named as his number two during the 2010 Operation Shovel offensive against the mob.

At that time he was photographed in handcuffs as the Spanish magistrates began their lengthy probe into the activities of the cartel on the Costa Del Crime.

Following his release, he retreated from the limelight but is understood to be still active and based in Spain.

Cunningham and his brother Michael served lengthy sentences for their role in the kidnap of heiress Jennifer Guinness in the 1980s.

Heiress Jennifer Guinness was snatched from her home in Howth, Co. Dublin, in 1986 by a gang of four men, led by the Cunningham brothers

A ransom of £2.5 million was demanded and for five days Gardaí around the country combed empty barns and houses in search of the hostage.

Officers eventually tracked the gang to a house on Waterloo Road in Dublin 4.

After a brief exchange of gun-fire and protracted negotiations, the kidnappers surrendered.​

Michael Cunningham was sentenced to a 14-year jail term for his part in the plot while John, who is a year younger, was caged for 17 years.

In 2014, Michael died of natural cause.

While awaiting early release John escaped from Shelton Abbey Prison and fled to the Netherlands in late 1996 where he became heavily involved in drugs trafficking.

Along with Kinahan Snr, Cunningham set about importing drugs.

In 2000, the lucrative partnership would come to an end after Cunningham was caught in Holland with more than €10 million worth of cannabis, machine guns and other weapons

He was found guilty of trafficking ecstasy, amphetamines and cannabis and served four-and-a-half years of an eight-year term

He then re-located to the Costa Del Sol where he acted as Christy Kinahan Snr’s right-hand man.