Tributes paid to veteran criminal Fran ‘The Lamb’ Cunningham ahead of funeral

Cunningham, who was considered a central cog in Ireland’s underworld for decades, is believed to have fallen from the second floor of his Ballyfermot home after trying to climb through a window.

On his notice on RIP.ie it states that Francis (Fran) Cunningham of Ballyfermot, Dublin/Meath/Kildare “passed away unexpectedly, at home”.

It adds that the beloved son of the late Lily and Frank and brother of the late Mick” is also the “cherished father of Suzanne, Anita, Robert and Sarah”.

“Fran will be sadly missed by Geraldine and Denise, his loving children, adored grandchildren Hayley, Cian, Kayla, Freya, Kali, Demetris and Mina, adored great-granddaughter Heidi, daughter-in-law Sharyn, sons-in-law Philip and Chris, sisters, brothers, sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, extended family, neighbours and friends,” the notice reads.

“May his gentle soul rest in peace.”

His funeral will take place on Thursday with Requiem Mass at 11.30am in the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption, Ballyfermot, followed by burial at Palmerstown Cemetery.

In the condolences section, one person has written that they were “sorry to hear of Fran’s passing”.

“I will miss pots of tea in Palmerston, Ballyfermot and many other cafes around Dublin,” they wrote. “You always had a new joke to tell or a story about one of your grandchildren whom you loved so much.

“Taken too early from your beautiful family and your many friends. Rest in Peace, Fran.

Cunningham was reputed to be one of Ireland’s top conmen at one stage and was behind frauds worth millions of pounds,

He was an integral part Ireland’s crime scene and specialised in the disposal of stolen bank drafts and travellers’ cheques stolen in heists both here and in Britain.

He was also involved in a forged garda pay cheque ring and helped organise heists and frauds for other criminals.

He made so much money from fraud that he helped bankroll numerous other gangsters activities.

Originally from Le Fanu Road in Ballyfermot, he was a brother of Michael and John Cunningham who gained notoriety for the kidnapping of Jennifer Guinness in 1986.

John Cunningham went on to become a key player in the Kinahan cartel while Michael died of natural causes nine years ago.

Fran’s list of associates reads like a who’s who of Irish gangsters of yesteryear including John Traynor, John Gilligan, Martin ‘the Viper’ Foley, Martin ‘the General’ Cahill, Sean ‘the Fixer’ Fitzgerald and Noel ‘Kingsize’ Duggan.

He ran a front operation of a bad debts agency and lived in an exclusive apartment in Ranelagh for a time but his real income came from criminality.

Gardaí were well aware of his activities but described him as “slippery like an eel” in the way he dodged several convictions on legal technicalities and using down-on-their luck patsies to carry out frauds he had masterminded.

In the late 1990s, he was behind a bid to cash IR£1.5m worth of stolen bank drafts which were stolen in a London raid.

He flew out to Amsterdam with a man he had recruited to cash the drafts but kept his distance while the man went to the bank.

Gardaí, Dutch police and Interpol were aware of the operation and Dutch cops arrested the other man but Cunningham was able to fly back to Dublin without problem.

However, in 1999 his luck ran out when he was sent down for five years for masterminding a £45,000 fraud.

He had tried to avoid prison by faking a heart attack while he was supposed to be in court. He was taken to hospital and tried to escape but was caught by gardaí.

When they stopped him he was in the company of Martin ‘the Viper’ Foley.

Being behind bars failed to stop Cunningham from committing crime and in 2002 he was behind the forgery of fake driving licenses in Mountjoy Prison which were smuggled out and sold for €200 each.

He also became the prison’s unofficial bookie operating gambling rackets via a mobile phone.

He was also nabbed for several other offences over the years including in 2012 when he was found guilty of involvement in a €315,000 cigarette delivery van heist.

It is understood that foul play is not suspected in Cunningham’s death.

A garda spokesperson said: “Gardaí and emergency services attended a residential premises in Ballyfermot, Dublin 10, on Friday 24th May 2024. The body of a male, aged in his 60s, was discovered and removed to Dublin City Mortuary for a post mortem.”