Middle-class people who used cocaine at the weekend to are sending money “straight up to the likes of Daniel Kinahan”. 

That’s according to investigative journalist Nicola Tallant, who recently released her latest book Cocaine Cowboys: The Deadly Rise of Ireland's Drug Lords. 

Ms Tallant told The Pat Kenny Show dealers have made “an eye-watering amount of money” through dealing cocaine in a short amount of time. 

"Violent street dealers have been turned into millionaires in a matter of months or years, funded by polydrug users, who take anything all week long, a lot of them with addiction and underlying health issues,” she said. 

“But they’re also funded by this big boom at the weekend that goes straight up the lines to the likes of Daniel Kinahan. 

“It’s middle-class people with jobs going out at the weekend, to have a night out, and they feel the need boost up their mood with a bag of cocaine. 

“Every single penny spent is going straight up the line and misery is coming straight back down.” 

Bag of cocaine powder spilling out onto black surface. Image: Paul Bock / Alamy Stock Photo

She agreed with host Pat Kenny 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”. 

“If it was any other industry where, going right back to the production line, people were treated as badly and were killed... and children were being radicalised to become killers, would you go out and support that industry?” she said. 

'Cocaine has a cool image'

Ms Tallant said the use of cocaine is unlike any other drug in Ireland. 

“Cocaine started coming in after we've had sort of two waves of the heroin epidemic,” she said. 

“There was this total shame attached to heroin; you wouldn't have taken heroin out and shoved it in your arm in a pub, or in a nightclub, or proudly taken it out and offered it around to friends. 

“There’s a shame in taking in and even dealing it among drug dealers – but cocaine is different. 

“It has this very cool image, and people are quite proud of taking it.” 

First-time addicts 'in their 60s'

At the start of her book, Ms Tallant noted that cocaine is “in every parish, it's in every town in the country and it's easy to access”. 

She told the show it’s the availability of cocaine that has created such high demand. 

“There was a time some decades ago that if you were in a rural pub and you fancied taking a few lines, you’d have to get into your car and drive to Dublin to buy it,” she said. 

“But now it’s come to all users around the country – I was talking to Professor Colin O'Gara, an addiction expert, and he talks about people coming in their 60s and 70s as first-time drug users. 

“They’re in their local pub having pints and they're offered cocaine, and they take it. 

“It’s extraordinary.” 

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