Former Longford councillor pleads guilty in Circuit Court to €2.6 million money laundering charges

A former Longford County Council member and business man who pleaded guilty to money laundering €2.6 million will have the charges against him concluded next July.

Frank Kilbride (69), of Aughakilmore, Ballinalee, Co Longford, appeared at the sitting of Longford Circuit Court today (Tuesday, January 9) facing three counts of money laundering.

The former Edgeworthstown hotelier and country music promoter affirmed his District Court guilty pleas when arraigned in the Circuit Court.

The first charge alleges that on various dates between October 5, 2017 and March 27, 2018 he engaged in converting, transferring, handling, acquiring, possessing or using property that was the proceeds of criminal conduct – approximately €1,727,420.28.

The second was that on dates between November 30, 2017 and March 15, 2019 he engaged in converting, transferring, handling, acquiring, possessing or using property that is the proceeds of criminal conduct – approximately €867,143.80

The final charge Mr Kilbride pleaded guilty to was that between September 27, 2017 and November 26, 2017 he engaged in converting, transferring, handling, acquiring, possessing or using property that was the proceeds of criminal conduct – approximately €10,000 – while knowing that, believing that or being reckless as to whether or not the property was the proceeds of criminal conduct.

Mr Kilbride was represented in proceedings by barrister Vincent Heneghan SC.

Mr Heneghan asked to have the sentencing adjourned to allow the defence the opportunity to have a psychological report prepared. There was no State objection to the application.

The barrister also asked Judge Kenneth Connolly to alter his client's bail conditions by reducing his signing on dates from once a week to every second week.

Judge Connolly granted the requests and adjourned matters to July 9, 2024 for sentencing.

Mr Kilbride is a well known personality in the world of country music, having previously presented his own radio and TV shows, and a large number of well wishers gathered at an 'appreciation night' function in Longford at the end of July of this year to recognise his contribution to the music scene.

Mr Kilbride was successfully elected as a Fine Gael candidate to Longford County Council on three consecutive occasions, 1999, 2004 and 2009.

The two -time former Longford Mayor also contested the local elections of 2014 and 2019 in the Granard electoral area but was unsuccessful. 

In 2007 he contested the Seanad Election on the Industrial and Commercial Panel but wasn't elected and in 2020, his last foray in the political arena, he ran as an Independent in the general election in the Longford / Westmeath constituency and again was unsuccessful.