Category: Irish Crime

83 – The Disappearance of Philip Cairns

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Child Victim, Cold Case, Irish Crime, Kidnapping, murder, unsolved

On Thursday the 26th of October 1986, Philip Cairns left his Ballyroan Road home after eating his lunch. He was headed back to school. But he never made it there. An intensive search followed, but there were no signs of the 13 year old.

A week later, his school bag was found in a nearby laneway, left there by persons unknown. Despite searches of the Rathfarnham area, including rivers, overgrown areas, large parklands and in the foothills of the Dublin mountains, there was no further sign of the school boy.

What became of Philip Cairns?

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81 – A Voyage of Fiction: The murder of Aoife Phelan

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn affair, Domestic Violence, Intimate Partner Violence, Irish Crime, Life Sentence, Mental Health, Povocation

In October of 2012, 30 year old Aoife Phelan went missing without a trace. Aoife had simply left a friends house and vanished with no sign of what might become of her. A garda investigation began to find the woman who had told hr family she was 4 months pregnant.

It would be a long two weeks before police discovered what had become of her.

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80 – Trauma: The murder of Wayne McQuillan

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Controversial Case, Domestic Violence, Insanity Defence, Intimate Partner Violence, Irish Crime, Life Sentence, Mental Health, murder, Self Defence, Women Who Kill

In the early hours New Year’s day, 2014 Wayne McQuillan stumbled out of a house in Rathmullen Park, Drogheda Co Louth. He was covered in blood. Paula Farrell, his partner would face trial for his murder three times.

But did she have a defence? 

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79 – Savage: The murder of James Healy

On By Hugh DevineIn Child Victim, Drug-related, Insanity Defence, Irish Crime, Life Sentence, Mental Health, murder, Organised Crime

In February of 1996, 16 year old James Healy was found brutally beaten in a field near his home in Tralee. It wouldn’t be long before gardai zeroed in on their prime suspect – a 25 year old man diagnosed with anti social personality disorder.

In fact, police feared that he would one day murder.

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77 – The murder of Georgina Eager

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn affair, Controversial Case, Domestic Violence, Intimate Partner Violence, Irish Crime, Landmark Case, Life Sentence, Mental Health, murder, Self Defence, sex crimes, UK Crime

In May of 2003, family members discovered the body of Georgina Eager in the bedroom of her flat. The knife used to kill her was still protruding from her neck. A man was arrested shortly after in London, who admitted to killing the 28 year old receptionist.

This would lead to a prosecution for murder in London, the first case of a crime committed in Ireland being tried in the United Kingdom under an obscure law dating from 1861, avoiding the lengthy extradition process.

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76 – House of Horrors: Cork’s missing men

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Cold Case, Controversial Case, Drug-related, Irish Crime, Mental Health, murder, Public Inquiry, Serial Killer, unsolved

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.

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75 – Pathological: The murders of Lesley Clarke and Trevor Buchanan

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn affair, Black Widow, Controversial Case, Domestic Violence, Intimate Partner Violence, Irish Crime, Life Sentence, love triangle, Mental Health, murder, murder for profit, Public Inquiry, sex crimes, Women Who Kill

In May of 1991, the bodies of Lesley Clarke and Trevor Buchanan were discovered in a fume filled car, parked in Lesley’s deceased father’s garage. The deaths were ruled a tragic double suicide – probably the result of the affair that Lesley and Trevor’s spouses were carrying on together.

But 18 years later, a startling confession would launch a renewed investigation into the deaths, this time as a case of murder. The prime suspects were the victim’s spouses – Colin Howell and Hazel Buchanan.

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74 – Marilyn Rynn: The Shortcut

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Irish Crime, Landmark Case, Life Sentence, Mental Health, murder, sex crimes

In December of 1995, 41 year old Marilyn Rynn disappeared after attending her workplace Christmas party. Two weeks later her body was found hidden in bushes at a park near to her home. She had been attacked as she took a shortcut on her journey home.

A combination of cutting edge forensic techniques and old fashioned police work solved her murder 8 months later.

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73 – The Park: The Killing of Rachel Kiely

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Controversial Case, Irish Crime, Kids who Kill, Life Sentence, murder, sex crimes

22 year old Rachel Kiely left home in Ballincollig, Co. Cork with her two dogs on the afternoon of the 26th of October 2000. Her dogs returned to the house, but she didn’t. A few hours later, her body was discovered hidden in undergrowth at the local park.

The person responsible would spend the next two decades in and out of court.

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72 – The Missing Postman: Larry Griffin

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Cold Case, Controversial Case, Irish Crime, Kidnapping, murder, unsolved, Vintage murder, Wrongly Accused

On Christmas Day, 1929, postman Larry Griffen went to work in the small village of Stradbally, Co Waterford. As he called into homes with the post, he was thanked with tips and a few drinks. That night, Larry never made it home. His bike was found abandoned in the middle of the road.

A conspiracy of silence kept the truth of what happened to Larry Griffin from his family, and still does to this day.

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