Exclusive: In the opening text of the highly polished professional video, a message flashes up declaring: “Dean is not phased [sic] by the jail, and will continue to drop music while in jail,” with a video of Dean being led from Dundalk Courthouse
05:00, 06 Mar 2026Updated 07:18, 06 Mar 2026
Drogheda gangster, Dean Thornton (centre in grey and blue tracksuit) in a music video filmed on the streets of Drogheda(Image: YouTube)
A second rap track has been released featuring a Drogheda criminal awaiting sentence for organised crime offences – accompanied by text claiming he’s “not phased by the jail” [sic].
Convicted criminal Dean Thornton, 28, from Moneymore in the Co Louth town, is currently being held on remand ahead of his sentencing in May after pleading guilty to a number of serious offences.
Thornton, who performs his raps under the name ‘Dean Thornton RSK’ admitted to the charges at Dundalk Circuit Court including facilitating the Drogheda-based Boylan Organised Crime Group allegedly headed by two brothers Keith and Josh Boylan.
That offence is under Section 72 of the Criminal Justice Act, which makes it an offence to assist or enhance the ability of an organised criminal group to facilitate a serious crime.
Dean Thornton, 27, from Moneymore in Drogheda, is currently being held on remand ahead of his sentencing in May after pleading guilty to a number of serious offences.
Thornton also admitted money laundering offences and is due to be sentenced in May after entering guilty pleas, and remains remanded in custody pending that hearing.
The Boylan brothers, also from Moneymore, who are on the run in Dubai and Thailand from authorities here, were named in court for the first time last year as allegedly heading the group by a garda witness in a money-laundering sentencing hearing.
Josh and Keith Boylan
Despite Thornton’s time behind bars, his rapping music career appears to be continuing.
Clips of his latest track Back2Back featuring rap artist BK Humble on Dearfxch TV via YouTube have begun circulating online in recent days, sparking fresh attention on social media.
In the opening text of the highly-polished professional video, a message flashes up declaring: “Dean is not phased [sic] by the jail, and will continue to drop music while in jail,” with a video of Dean being led from Dundalk Courthouse in February 2025 when he was initially charged with the serious offences he is to be sentenced for.
A still from Dean Thornton new music video
It is the second track linked to Thornton to emerge since he was remanded in custody, though it is unclear when his vocals were recorded. Thornton does not appear in the accompanying music video.
Previously, prison sources told us that if material had been recorded behind bars, it is highly unlikely it would have been permitted to be sent outside the prison system.
Thornton first launched his rap career in 2024 with a video entitled Real Street Kids, which featured scenes filmed around his native Moneymore estate with Thornton rapping about a Glock semi-automatic gun “chillin’ by the sofa” as well as rapping about the start of the Drogheda feud which escalated in 2018 and claimed four lives.
Thornton is due to appear before the courts again in May for sentencing after entering his guilty pleas in late 2025.
A Drogheda gang member awaiting sentencing for organised crime offences has released a second rap track from custody
He was one of several involved in the horror abduction and assault of a young man seven years ago.
He was jailed for three years for his role in the abduction of Aaron Rochford in a house in the Moneymore estate in November 2018.
Dean Thornton leaving Drogheda Court in May 2019(Image: Mick O’Neill)
Thornton was released from prison in 2022 for that offence.
When contacted about Thornton’s latest rap, a spokesperson for the Irish Prison Service said: “The Irish Prison Service does not comment on individual prisoner cases.”
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