88 – Unknown Location: the Murder of Meg Walsh

In October of 2006, Meg Walsh went missing. She wasn’t at her home, and she didn’t turn up for work. The garda investigation that followed revealed that Meg had had some troubling experiences recently in her private life. Her body was found in the river Suir two weeks after she was first reported missing.

But without a crime scene, would it be possible to get justice for Meg?

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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:
Cormac Looney, “Missing mum murder fear” in The Evening Herald (6 October 2006) p. 1, 2.

Isobel Hurley, ‘Bloodstains in mum’s car” in The Eveing Herald(7 Octover 2006) p. 2.Brendan Furlong, “Gardai fear for Meg’s life” in The Sunday World (8 October 2006) p. 8.

Ralph Riegel, “Bloodstains near missing mother’s car cause alarm” in The Sunday Independent (8 October 2006) p. 4.

Cormac Looney, “pain for friends unwilling to talk of the worst” in The Evening Herald (9 October 2006) p. 3.

Ralph Riegel, “Family fears the worst as search goes on for Meg” in The Irish Independent (9 October 2006) p. 14.

Cormac Looney, “Dark estuary to reveal its mysteries as hope fades” in The Evening Herald (10 October 2006) p. 8.

Cormac Looney, “Missing Margaret told gardai she feared for her life” in The Evening Herald (10 October 2006) p. 8.

Niall O’Connor, “Gardai widening their search for missing mum who told friends she lived in fear for her safety” in The Irish Independent (10 October 20060 p. 4.

Cormac Looney, “Have you seen this car? Meg’s killer used it” in The Evening Herald (12 October 2006) p. 10.

Ralph Riegel and Ciaran Murphy, “New appeal as gardai fear for missing Meg” in The Irish Independent (12 October 2006) p. 10.

Michael Quinn and Cormac Looney, “Find my missing mum” in The Evening Herald (13 October 2006) p. 1, 2-3.“Body of missing Meg may be adrift at sea” in The Irish Independent (13 October 2006) p. 7.

Ralph Riegel, “Fearful family plead for help in hunt for woman who vanished” in The Irish Independent(14 October 2006) p. 6.

Niall O’Connor, “Blood found in Meg’s house” in The Sunday World (15 October 2006) p. 10-11

Jerome Reilly, “Missing Meg’s chilling premonition of violent end now haunts searchers” in The Sunday Independent (15 October 2006) p. 11.

Cormac Looney. “Murderer stripped mum Meg” in The Evening Herald (16 October 2006) p.p 1, 4.

Cormac Looney, “Family’s hopes end as river reveals its secret” in The Evening Herald (16 October 2006) p.p. 4,

Ralph Riegel and Dara de Faoite, “Garda net tightens as Meg’s body discovered” in The Irish Independent (16 October 2006) p. 1.

Dara deFaoite, “Crowd watches river search while family waits for news” in The Irish Independent (16 October 2006) p. 4.

Ralph Riegel and Dara deFaoite, “Garda net tightens as Meg’s body discovered” in The Irish Independent (16 October 2006) p.p. 1, 4.

Ciarran Murphy, “Gardai seek help in search for victim’s missing possessions” in The Irish Independent (17 October 2006) p. 4

Cormacc Looney, “Gardai now hunt for second Meg murder suspect” in The Evening Herald (17 October 2006) p. 4.

Ralph Riegel, “Meg’s dying struggle leaves clue to killer” in The Irish Independent (17 October 2006) p. 1, 4.

Ralph Riegel, “Meg killer: arrest within 72 hours” in The Irish Independent (18 October 2006) p. 4.Cormac Looney, “Killer of mum Meg may be at removal” in The Evening Herald (18 October 2006) p. 5.

“Hundreds join husband, daughter to mourn Meg” in The Irish Independent (19 October 2006) p. 1, 5.

Cormac looney, “Meg’s husband is arrested” in The Evening Herald (20 October 2006) p. 5.

Ralph Riegel, “Meg was well able to speak for herself – now she can’t” in The Irish Independent(20 October 2006) p. 2.

Ralph Riegel and Breda Heffernan, “Double swoop” in The Irish Independent (21 October 2006) p. 1, 9.

Ralph Riegel, “Meg murder: Divers sift through river silt in hunt for blunt weapon” in The Irish Indepndent(21 October 2006) p. 8.

Ralph Riegel, “Released” in The Irish Independent (21 October 2006) p. 9.

Paul Williams and Eamon Dillon, “He’s going to kill me” in The Sunday World (22 October 2006) p. 10.

Jim Cusack, “Witness assaulted by Meg suspect the night she died” in The Sunday Independent (22 October 2006) p. 6

Olivia Kelleher, “Breakthrough for gardai in hunt for Meg’s killer” in The Irish Independent (23 October 2006) p. 3.

“Witnesses plea over murder” in The Irish Independent (24 October 20060 p. 4.

Paul Williams and Eamon Dillon, “’Cracker’ in hunt for Meg killer” in The Sunday World (29 October 2006) p.p. 16-17.

“Gardai in TV appeal to catch Meg’s killer” in The Irish Independent (31 October 2006) p. 14.

Ralph Riegel, “Murder inquiry to focus on three key elements” in The Irish Independent (01 November 2006) p. 9.

Aoife Finneran, “Husband’s fury at memorial for Meg” in The Evening Herald (28 November 2006) p. 6.

Cormac Looney, “Meg’s husband ‘can’t help’ in garda probe” in The Evening Herald (11 December 2006) p. 6.

Michael Quinn and Cormac Looney, “Husband is charged with Meg murder” in The Evening Herald (22 June 2007) p. 4.

Dara deFaoite, “Husband charged with murder of Margaret ‘Meg’ Walsh” in The Irish Independent (23 June 2007) p. 22.

Cormac Looney, “Meg murder trial date fixed” in The Evening Herald (24 July 2007) p. 34.

Cormac Looney, “Meg murder trial moved to Dublin” in The Evening Herald (1 November 2007) p. 4.

Michael Lavery, “Husband saw Meg kiss his friend” in The Evening Herald (14 April 2008) p. 1, 5

Abigail Rieley, “Husband threw guest out of house ‘just after he kissed Meg’” in The Irish Independent (15 April 2008) p. 5.

Abigail Rieley, “Meg told of assault weeks before her death – doctor” in The Irish Independent (16 April 2008) p. 3.

Nicola Anderson, “Kiss awakens air of tension as pair fail to see eye-to-eye” in The Irish Independent (16 April 2008) p. 3.

Abigail Rieley, “He became aggressive over just a quick peck” in The Evening Herald (16 April 2008) p. 16.

Fergus Black, “I had to know what he had done, daughter tells trial” in The Irish Independent(17 April 2008) p. 9.

Nicola Anderson, “Lawyers tread softly leaving jury to read between lines” in The Irish Independent(17 April 2008) p. 9.

Michael Lavery and Andrew Phelan, “Meg was in the process of changing insurance policy” in The Evening Herald(17 April 2008) p. 10.

Fergus Black, “Meg said I drover her to kiss other man, trial jury hears” in The Irish Independent(18 April 2008) p. 7.

Fergus Black, “Wife ‘told gardai of assault’ before her disappearance” in The Irish Independent(18 April 2008) p. 7.

Nicola Anderson, “Court struggles to follow car’s movements” in The Irish Independent (18 April 2008) p. 7.

Andrew Phelan and Alan O’Keefe, “Husband ‘admitted’ assault on Meg” in The Evening Herald (18 April 2008) p.p. 1, 4.

Breda Heffernan, “Husband admitted hitting Meg 10 days before she disappeared” in The Irish Independent (19 April 2008) p. 7.

Breda Heffernan, “Mum may have been alive when she entered the Suir, says Cassidy” in The Irish Independent (19 April 2008) p. 7.

Abigail Reiley, “I was stalking man I caught kissing Meg” in The Evening Herald (22 April 2008) p. 12

Andrew Phelan, “Stakes high in witness box as inspector faces more questions” in The Evening Herald (22 April 2008) p. 12.

Anne-Marie Welsh, “Accused ‘was seen on CCTV at quayside where body was found’” in The Irish Independent (22 April 2008) p. 5.

Nicola Anderson, “Inspector ‘fed litany of lies’ as search for Meg went on” in The Irish Independent (22 April 2008) p. 5.

Andrew Phelan, “Desk reveals insight into a woman planning changes” in The Evening Herald (23 April 2008) p. 23

Michael Lavery, “I would tell Meg every day I loved her” in The Evening Herald (23 April 2008) p. 23.

Andrew Phelan, “Movements of accused revealed by CCTV pics” in The Evening Herald (24 April 2008) p. 22.

Abigail Reiley, “Meg’s wedding ring found in ashtray” in The Evening Herald (24 April 2008) p. 22.

Anne-Marie Walsh, “Meg husband told the gardai that he was a wife-beater” in The Irish Independent (24 April 2008) p. 7.

Nicola Anderson, “Wearisome day as court follows trail of video snippets” in The Irish Independent (25 April 2008) p. 11.

Abigail Reiley, “Footage from 100 CCTV cameras used in Meg case” in The Irish Independent (25 April 2008) p. 11.

Andrew Phelan and Michael Lavery, “Meg vanished after row” in The Evening Herald (29 April 2008) p. 10

Abigail Reiley, “Murder trial told Meg’s DNA matched blood discovered in boot of her car” in The Irish Independent (29 April 2008) p. 7.

Andrew Phelan and Micahel Lavery, “Witness ‘ spotted’ accused near where bloody board found” in The Evening Herald (1 May 2008) p. 12.

Abigail Rieley, “Meg’s body dumped a kilometre from where it was found in river” in The Irish Independent (1 May 2008) p. 16.

Nicola Anderson, “A snatched glimpse into the couples lives before one was to die” in The Irish Independent (1 May 2008) p. 16.

Nicola Anderson, ‘Wife’s debt had spiralled as she repaid ‘Diddly fun’ for friends” in The Irish Independent (2 May 2008) p. 12.

Andrew Phelan, “Jury hears accused’s voice for the first time as case draws to a close” in The Evening Herald (2 May 2008) p. 19.

Andrew Phelan and Fiona Dillon, “Husband: I didn’t kill Meg” in The Evening Herald (6 May 2008) p.p. 1, 8.

Abigail Rieley, “I had no hand act or part in Meg’s murder, says O’Brien” in The Irish Independent (7 May 2008) p. 16

Nicola Anderson, “Long day of tough questions end with a very brief and simple denial” in The Irish Independent (7 May 2008) p. 15.

Andrew Phelan and Fiona Dillon, “Only Meg’s murderer has answers to all the questions, jury told” in The Evening Herald97 May 2008) p. 31.

Andrew Phelan, “Jury told to put human emotion aside while they consider their verdict” in The Evening Herald (8 May 2008) p. 24.

Abigail Rieley, “Jurors in Meg trial warned to avoid emotion in their verdict” in The Irish Independent (8 May 2008) p. 13.

Abigail Rieley, “’Calm, clinical’ advice for jury in murder trial” in The Irish Independent (9 May 2008) p. 6.

Andrew Phelan and Caroline Crawford, “Not Guilty” in The Evening Herald (9 May 2008) p.p. 1,

Aoife Finneran, “Silence before the tears” in The Evening Herald (9 May 2008) p. 4.

Andrew Phelan, ‘Family left pondering, who did kill her?” in The Evening Herald (9 May 2008) p. 4.

Dearbhail McDonald, “Murder jury is unanimous on critical matter of reasonable doubt” in The Irish Independent (10 May 2008) p. 12.

Shane Phelan, “Relatives devastated by verdict cling to the memories of mother” in The Irish Independent (10 May 2008) p. 11.

Shane Phelan, “Meg’s killer may never be caught as case closes” in The Irish Independent (10 May 2008) p. 11.

Shane Phelan, “Meg wrote of death threat just days before her disappearance” in The Irish Independent (10 May 2008) pp 1, 10.

Andrew Phelan, “Vicious” in The Evening Herald (13 May 2008) p.p. 1, 2-3.

Shane Phelan, “Meg family wants to sue cleared husband” in The Irish Independent (13 May 2008) p. 11.

Shane Phelan, “Vandals hit home of Meg’s husband” in The Irish Independent (22 May 2008) p. 1

Caroline Crawford, “My mum’s wedding nightmare” in The Evening Herald (31 May 2008) p.p. 1,

Caroline Crawford, “O’Brien wont face new Meg case” in The Evening Herald (7 June 2008) p.p. 1, 4

Ralph Riegel, “Meg’s heartbroken family pleads for killer to surrender” in The Irish Independent (18 November 2008) p. 10.

Andrew Phelan, “Meg revealed O’Brien ‘death threat’ in letter” in The Evening Herald (10 May 2008) p. 5.

Michelle Clancy, “Settlement reached in Meg’s estate case” in The Munster Express https://www.munster-express.ie/front-page-news/general-stories/settlement-reached-in-megs-estate-case/(1 April 2011)

Abigail Rieley, “Sitting in the wrong seat” fromabigailrieley.com https://www.abigailrieley.com/sitting-in-the-wrong-seat/