134 – A Question of Self Defence: The murder of Leslie Kenny

Just after 10am, on Wednesday the 29th July 2008, shots rang out on a busy residential road in Kilrush, Co Clare. Two men who lived on the street, Leslie Kenny and Brendan O’Sullivan, had exchanged words, and by the end of that interaction, one of them was lying dead in a front garden.

This episode was researched and written by Aileen Spearin.

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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:

DPP V Brendan O’Sullivan appeal document

“20 months in jail for heroin addict”, Irish Independent, Oct 4th 2003

Gordon Deegan, “Widespread heroin use may increase in Clare”, Clare Champion, Oct 10th 2003

Gordon Deegan, “Man faces charge over threatening behaviour in court case”, Irish Independent, Sep 29th 2005

Gordon Deegan, “Man charged after disturbance forced judge to suspend court”, Irish Examiner, Sep 29th 2005

Gordon Deegan, “Man jailed for court assault”, Irish Examiner, Oct 6th 2005

“Man opts for jury trial”, Clare Champion, Dec 5th 2008

Tom Brady and Pat Flynn, “Suspect held after gun victim blasted to death in row”, Irish Independent, Jul 30th 2009

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Pat Flynn, “Suspect in court over fatal shooting of drug addict”, Irish Independent, Jul 31st 2009

Carol Byrne, “Shotgun killing in Kilrush”, Clare Champion Jul 31st 2009

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Carol Byrne, “Murder accused to fully defend the charge”, Clare Champion, Aug 7th 2009

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Lonan Paul, “Murder accused asked to mind shotgun, court told”, Irish Examiner, Nov 4th 2010

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Abigail Rieley, “A question of self-defence”, Nov 8th 2010

Barry Duggan and Lonan Paul, “Dad gets life for murder of his neighbour with shotgun”, Irish Independent, Nov 9th 2010

Emer Connolly, “Feud between neighbours that turned deadly”, Sunday Independent, Nov 14th 2010

Cathal McMahon, “Feuding Families”, Irish Daily Mirror, Mar 28th 2011

Brian Kavanagh, “Jury left in hopeless state of confusion, court hears”, Irish Examiner, Apr 23rd 2013

“Kilrush man loses murder appeal”, Clare Champion, Jun 7th 2013

Ann O’Loughlin, “Man jailed for murder seeks to appeal conviction”, Irish Examiner, Dec 5th 2013

“Court refuses further appeal”, Clare Champion, Dec 27th 2013