Category: murder

Bonus: Dolores McCrea

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Intimate Partner Violence, murder

This Bonus episode was first published as a “Guilt Trip” episode on Patreon on 7th April 2019.

Dolores McCrea married the man that she had met and fallen for while in Secondary School in Donegal. But her husband, Gary, was a controlling man and became abusive. 

Soon the violence became too much for Dolores and she left Gary, bringing along their four daughters. But often the time after a person leaves their abuser is the most dangerous. And this was the case for Dolores. 

Gary McCrea had plans for Dolores once she left him which would lead him to standing in the dock in the Four Courts just over a year later. 

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138 – The Longest Wait for Justice: Nora Sheehan

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

In 1981, Nora Sheehan went missing from Ballyphehane, Co Cork. She was found dead a week later, and gardai soon had a prime suspect for her murder while investigating another crime.

But a series of setbacks meant no trial was held in the case until 2023.

This episode was researched and written by Aileen Spearin.

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136 – David Byrne: Murder in a Dark Corner

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

In March of 2011, 19 year old David Byrne set out to meet someone near to his home in Drimnagh, Dublin City. Little did he know that he was walking into a trap. A panicked chase was caught on CCTV, but the final attack occurred in a dark corner out of sight of any cameras. Could his killer be identified from the footage?

This episode was researched and written by Aileen Spearin.

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

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Irish Crime, murder, Self Defence

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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133 – Killer on the Run: The murder of Emer O’Loughlin

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

If you have any information on the whereabouts of John Griffin, you can contact Gort Garda Station on (091) 636400, the Garda Confidential line at 1800 666 111 or your local law enforcement agency.

In 2005, a caravan caught fire in rural north Clare, Emer O’Loughlin’s family were initially relieved to see that it wasn’t the one she shared with her partner Shane. But when human remains were found inside the charred wreckage, and there was still no sign of the artistic Emer, hope that everything would be ok was quickly dashed.

In the years that followed, so would hope that Emer’s killer might be brought to justice.

This episode was researched and written by Aileen Spearin.

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132 – Nagged to Kill: The death of Gary Cotter

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

28 year old mother of one Norma Crotty appeared on her neighbours doorstep early on the morning of January 3rd, 1995. She was in a distressed state, and was holding a shotgun. It was smoking.

Norma told her neighbour that she had just shot her husband.

This episode was researched and written by Aileen Spearin.

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131 – For the Love of Money: The murder of Paul Jones

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Irish Crime, Life Sentence, murder, murder for profit, Self Defence, Women Who Kill

In September of 2019, Paul Jones was found dead in the hallway of his home on Bandon Road, in Cork. The 54 year old had a chequered past, but for the last decade had lived a quiet and pious life, bothering no one. Despite this, he had suffered 25 stab wounds to his side and had been hit in the head with a long, machete-like blade.

Though he had no known quarrels with anyone, there was someone in Paul Jones’ life who had a reason to do him harm.

This episode was researched and written by Aileen Spearin.

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130 – Drugs, Death and Butchery: The Deaths of Vincent Costello, Morgan Costello and Damien Monahan

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Drug-related, Insanity Defence, Mental Health, murder, Organised Crime

In the early hours of 29th April, 2000, a fire was discovered in an upmarket flat in the seaside resort of Scheveningen, The Hague. Three occupants were found dead in the bathtub – young Irishmen Damien Monahan and Vincent and Morgan Costello.

Was the fire an accident, some sort of gangland hit, or something else altogether?

This episode was researched and written by Aileen Spearin.

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128 – A Questionable Conviction: The deaths of Margaret and Martin Glynn

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Cold Case, Controversial Case, Irish Crime, Life Sentence, murder, murder for profit, Vintage murder, Wrongly Accused

On a chilly Sunday morning in December of 1980, Michael Kelly arrived at a neighbours house in a panic. There was a fire in the house he was staying in nearby, and inside were the two elderly siblings who he was there to look after.

Sadly, Margaret and Martin Glynn – siblings in their 80s – were removed from the house and pronounced dead.

But was this a tragic accident, or a malicious act driven by greed?

This episode was researched and written by Aileen Spearin.

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127 – An Unusual Defence: Layla Brennan

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Irish Crime, Life Sentence, murder, sex crimes


In March of 1999, Phillip Colgan and his wife Mary walked into Rathfarnham Garda Station and with a story to tell. It would be his first of many., and it would be up to a jury to decide which was true – and who killed Layla Brennan.

This episode was researched and written by Aileen Spearin.

Continue reading “127 – An Unusual Defence: Layla Brennan” →