Just before Christmas 1994, Patch O’Driscoll went missing from his bedsit in Cork City. When the garda investigation began into his missing persons case, it was discovered two other men had also disappeared from the very same house on Wellington Terrace. Though there was no evidence of a crime scene inside the large dilapidated building, the cause was certainly within.
But there would be few answers and no justice in the case.
Join me at CrimeCon UK on June 12-13th 2021. For more information and tickets visit crimecon.co.uk. Use the code MENSREA for 10% off. Purchase a ticket with the code and get in touch to get a free Mens Rea T-Shirt (limited to first 10 listeners who contact me)
With thanks to our sponsors for this episode:
Get $5 off an evening of crime solving in your own home with unsolvedcasefiles.com using the code MENS
Sign up for professional online counselling at betterhelp.com/mensrea and get 10% off your first month!
Try the casual mobile puzzle game Best Fiends today! Find it on the Apple App store and Google Play!
Find us on Facebook or Twitter!With thanks to our supporters on Patreon!
Donate today to get access to bonus and ad-free episodes!
Check out the Mens Rea Merch Store!
Our featured podcast this week is True Crime Deadline – find them here
Theme Music:
Quinn’s Song: The Dance Begins Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Additional Music: Allemande (Sting) by Wahneta Meixsell. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Sources:
Dick Cross, “Concern grows over missing trio mystery” in The Irish Independent (14 February 1995) p. 4.
“Fear for safety of missing 3 men” in The Evening Herald (14 February 1995) p. 1
Stephen Rae and Dick Cross, “Mystery deepens as flats trio disappear” in The Evening Herald (14 February 1995) p. 4
“Missing men baffle gardai” in The Evening Herald (15 February 1995) p. 4.
Dick Cross, “Gardai draw a total blank in search for missing trio” in The Irish Independent (15 February 1995) p. 3.
Dick Cross and Michael Quinn, “Sighting reports in missing men mystery” in The Irish Independent (16 February 1995) p. 6.
Anne Marie O’Connor, “I’m sure he’s still alive, says father” in The Wexford People (16 February 1995) p.p. 1,3.
Dick Cross, “Missing man left prize unclaimed” in The Irish Independent (17 February 1995) p. 3.
“The waiting game” in The Irish Independent (18 February 1995) p. 6.
“Evidence points to macabre findings” in The Irish Independent (18 February 1995) 6.
“Occult link now thought unlikely” in The Irish Independent (18 February 1995) p. 6.
Feargal Keane, “Missing Cork three feared dead” in The Sunday Tribune (19 February 1995) p. 4.
Ann Cahill, “Gardai believe missing Cork trio are dead’ in The Sunday Independent (19 February 1995) p. 3.
Stephen Rae and Dick Cross, “Missing men ‘killed’” in The Evening Herald (20 February 1995) p. 13.
Dick Cross, “Gardai draw a blank in hunt for trio” in The Irish Independent (21 February 1990) p. 7.
“Search goes ahead” in The Irish Independent (23 February 1995) p. 6.
“Gardai intensify hunt for three missing men” in The Irish Independent (25 February 1995) p. 3.
Mark Smith, “Dark secrets of the house on the hill” in The Sunday Independent (12 March 1995) p. 4.
“Missing men’s house combed” in The Irish Independent (17 March 1995) p. 10
Dee O’Sullivan, “Missing 3: house sealed off” in The Sunday Tribune (19 March 1995) p. 2.
“Sister of missing man is threatened” in The Irish Independent (11 April 1995) p. 6.
Paul Williams, “Missing men ‘executed’ by drugs family” in The Sunday World (16 April 1995) p. 4.
Dick Cross, “Search continues for missing man” in The Irish Independent (24 April 1995) p. 4.
“Garden dig for missing trio” in The Evening Herald (15 May 1995) p. 4.
Dick Cross, “Gardai search team start digging” in The Irish Independent (16 May 1995) p. 14.
Dick Cross, “Gardai dig up garden in hunt for missing men” in The Irish Independent (16 May 1995)
Dick Cross, “Cork dig: two suspected” in The Evening Herald (16 May 1995) p. 2.
Dick Cross, “Search Continues for missing Kilmore man” in The Wexford People (17 May 1995) p. 2.
Dick Cross, “Pathologist is called in to missing men bodies search” in The Irish Independent (18 May 1995) p. 7.
Dick Cross, “Missing man’s family begs for end to misery” in The Irish Independent (19 May 1995) p. 5.
Dick Cross, “Site dig for missing trio draws crowds” in The Irish Independent (20 May 1995) p. 5.
Cathal O’Shea, “Bone find at dig for missing men” in The Sunday World (21 May 1995) p. 2.
Veronica Guerin, “Witness found in Cork bodies search” in The Sunday Independent (21 May 1995) p. 1, 3
Des O’Sullivan, “Hunt for Cork missing needs fresh leads” in The Sunday Tribune (21 May 1995) p. 11.
Feargal Keane, “The Mystery of the missing men” in The Sunday Tribune (21 May 1995) p. 10-11
Feargal Keane, “”I’m innocent says Cork body dig suspect” in The Sunday Tribune (21 May 1995) p. 1.
Dick Cross, “Gardai draw a blank in city dig” in The Irish Independent (23 May 1995) p. 3.
“Cork gardai ‘on brink of dig find’” in The Evening Herald (24 May 1995) p. 2.
Paul Williams, “Cops trick in hunt for missing men” in The Sunday World (28 May 1995) p. 4.
“Two arrested in Cork over missing men” in The Sunday Tribune (28 May 1995) p. 3.
“Man charged on Cork ‘dig’ murder” in The Irish Independent (29 May 1995) p. 7
“Bodies search held up” in The Irish Independent (29 May 1995) p. 7
Dick Cross, “Garda deny cutbacks delay probe” in The Irish Independent (30 May 1995) p. 7.
Dick Cross, “Murder charge accused before court” in The Irish Independent (30 May 1995) p. 7.
Meave Sheehan, “New Twist in Cork murder trial” in The Sunday Tribune (11 June 1995) p. 1.
Feargal Keane, “Cork beating may be linked to killings” in The Sunday Tribune (25 June 1995) p. 3.
“Man held again over missing 3” in The Evening Herald (6 October 1995) p. 6.
“Murder accused held in custody” in The Evening Herald (6 June 1995) p. 2.
“Murder case bail held up” in The Irish Independent (10 June 1995) p. 6.
“Killing case adjourned” in The Irish Independent (6 September 1995) p. 5
“Bail request turned down” in The Irish Independent (21 November 1995) p. 3.
“Man on trial for murder” in The Evening Herald (10 June 1996) p. 42.
“Stab bid on murder accused” in The Evening Herald (11 June 1996) p. 13.
“Murder trial delayed by juror” in The Evening Herald (11 June 1996) p. 18
Mary Carolan, “Pull-out by juror hold up opening of trial” in The Irish Independent (11 June 1996) p. 4.
“’Jinx’ on trial” in The Irish Independent (12 June 1996) p. 6.
Mary Carolan, “Trial told of missing man’s drink problem” in The Irish Times (19 June 1996) p. 4.
Mary Carolan, “Youth ‘saw body parts in cupboard’” in The Irish Independent (20 June 1996) p. 11.
“O’Driscoll ‘choked to death with rope’” in The Irish Independent (20 June 1996) p. 11.
Mary Carolan, “Men ‘planned to dig up body from pathway’” in The Irish Independent (21 June 1996) p. 14.
Mary Carolan, “Judge says gardai error ‘outrageous’” in The Irish Independent (22 June 1996) p. 6. “Murder trial: new delay” in The Evening Herald (25 June 1996) p. 6.
Mary Carolan, “Murder trial in the balance as gardai criticised” in The Irish Independent (26 June 1996) p. 8
Jerome Reilly, “Defendant walks free amid shock and disbelief” in The Irish Independent (28 June 1996) p. 6.
Mary Carolan, “Murder accused ‘denied fair trial’” in The Irish Independent (28 June 1996) p. 6.
Mary Carolan. “Bizarre series of events led to court’s decision” in The Irish Independent ( 28 June 1996) p. 6.
Aideen Sheehan, “Cork murder probe team condemned by garda body” in The Irish Independent (29 June 1996) p. 3.
Ken O Shea, “Forest’s deadly secret is dug up” in The Sunday World (21 July 1996) p. 18
Brenda Power, “The woods give up the body” in The Sunday Tribune (28 July 1996) p. 11.
Liz Allen, “’No dirty tricks’ in dropped trial” in The Sunday Independent (1 June 1997) p. 4.
Niamh O’Connor, “Gardai linked Fred to fourth victim” in The Sunday World (18 May 2003) p. 18.
Michael Levery, “Garda probe after collapse of trial” in The Evening Herald (28 June 1996) p. 13.
Ann Cahill, “family ‘living in fear’ following collapse of trial” in The Sunday Independent (2 June 1996) p. 2.
Gene Kerrigan, “No body of evidence” in The Sunday Independent (30 June 1996) p. 10
“Forensic probe after body find” in the Evening Herald (20 July 1996) p. 4.
Dick Cross, “Three-week wait to name body in grave” in The Irish Independent (23 July 1996) p. 3.
Ken O’Shea, “Sister of mutilated Cork man speaks out” in The Sunday World (28 July 1996) p. 16.
Dick Cross, “Dismembered body n wood is missing son, family told” in The Irish Independent (9 August 1996) p. 3.
Dick Cross, “Man who disappeared in 1994 finally laid to rest” in The Irish Independent (17 August 1996) p. 4.
Ken O Shea “Do these woods hold the key to ‘House of Horror’ slayings?” in The Sunday World (15 June 1997) p. 24-25
Ken O Shea, “Triple murder riddle” in The Sunday World (15 June 1997) p. 24-25.
Ken O Shea, “Fresh search for house of horrors bodies” in The Sunday World (21 September 1997) p. 42
“Search that led to grisly find in shallow grave” in The Irish Independent (19 September 1998) p. 9.
Ann Mooney, “Family in House of Horrors case seeking £400,000” in The Irish Independent (19 September 1998) p. 9.
Ralph Riegel, “’House of Horrors’ man found hanged” in The Irish Independent (17 May 2003) p. 6.
Ralph Riegel, “Sister’s relief over suicide of House of Horrors suspect” in The Irish Independent (18 May 2003) p. 5.
Ralph Riegel, “House of Horrors slayings suspect hanged himself” in the Evening Herald (28 October 2003) p. 5.
Ralph Riegel, “Suspect in three brutal murders took own life at farm” in The Irish Independent (29 October 2003) p. 6.
Brendan Furlong. “Inquest brings little comfort to Cathal’s grieving family” in The Wexford People (5 November 2003) p. 9.
“Fears over missing Northsider” in The Sunday World (14 March 1993) p. 16.
“Family fear for safety of missing son” in The Evening Herald (21 October 1993) p. 4.
Martin O’Hagan, “Missing drug dealer is dead say gardai” in The Sunday World (24 October 1993) p. 6.
Eoin English, “Father of man feared murdered in Cork’s ‘House of Horrors’ appeals for information” in The Irish Examiner https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-20470121.html (1 May 2018)
DPP v Flannery 1996 WJSC-CCC 3015
Jennie O’Sullivan, “Fresh appeal over disappearance of men in Cork 24 years ago” from RTE.ie https://www.rte.ie/news/munster/2018/0430/959238-cork-disappearance-gardai/#:~:text=Fresh%20appeal%20over%20disappearance%20of%20men%20in%20Cork%2024%20years%20ago&text=Garda%C3%AD%20have%20issued%20a%20new,bodies%20have%20never%20been%20found. (30 April 2018)
Niamh Aine Ryan, “Calls to Gardai over 24 year murder case” from The Cork Independent https://www.corkindependent.com/news/topics/articles/2018/05/02/4155537-calls-to-garda-over-24-year-murder-case/ (2 May 2018)