GARDAÍ ARE APPEALING to anyone who may have information on the 1971 murders of Una Lynskey and Martin Kerrigan, who was one of the men interviewed in relation to her death.
It comes after Garda Commissioner Drew Harris directed that the Serious Crime Review Team carry out a ‘Full Review’ of the investigation into the murders.
A Full Review involves the “independent examination of all material gathered in the course of all relevant current and past investigations”.
Una Lynskey, aged 19, went missing close to her home in Ratoath in Co Meath on 12 October, 1971.
Her remains were recovered at Glendoo, close to Glencullen in the Dublin Mountains, on 10 December, 1971.
Less than two weeks after Una’s disappearance, Martin Kerrigan was among three men who were interviewed over a period of time at Trim Garda Station in relation to Una’s disappearance.
He and two other men, Dick Donnelly and Martin Conmey, were released without charge at this time.
Nine days after Una’s body was discovered, on 19 December 1971, 20-year-old Martin Kerrigan was abducted in Ratoath and forcibly put into a car.
In the early hours of 20 December 1971, Martin’s body was found at Tibradden, Rathfarnham, Dublin, close to where Una’s body was recovered.
Una’s brother John Lynskey and James Lynskey, and her cousin John Gaughan, were subsequently charged with murder and convicted of the manslaughter of Martin Kerrigan and each sentenced to three years imprisonment.
On 5 March, 1972, Dick Donnelly and Martin Conmey were charged with the murder of Una Lynskey.
Both were convicted of the manslaughter of Una and sentenced to three years imprisonment.
Dick Donnelly and Martin Conmey said they were forced to sign confessions.
Donnelly appealed this conviction and was found not guilty.
Conmey served a sentence of three years imprisonment, but in 2010, his conviction for manslaughter was successfully appealed.
In 2014, the Court of Appeal later ruled Conmey’s conviction for manslaughter as a miscarriage of Justice and he has since received a state apology.
Garda Commissioner Drew Harris has ordered that a full review of the investigation into the murders of Una Lynskey and Martin Kerrigan be carried out.
Detective Superintendent Des McTiernan has been appointed as the Reviewing Officer and the Serious Crime Review Team (SCRT) will assist the local investigation team in reviewing this investigation.
A Senior Investigating Officer from Meath Garda Division has been appointed to oversee the local investigation team.
The Garda investigation into the murder of Una Lynskey remains an open investigation and the future course of the investigation will be determined by the findings of the Serious Crime Review.
Detective Superintendent McTiernan, SCRT, with members of the local investigation and review team have met with the families of Una Lynskey, Martin Kerrigan, Dick Donnelly and Martin Conmey.
Today, 52 years after the murder of Una Lynskey, Detective Superintendent McTiernan said: “The murder of Una Lynskey on the 12 October 1971 and the subsequent murder of Martin Kerrigan on the 19 December 1971 has devastated the Lynskey, Kerrigan, Donnelly and Conmey families.
“The family of Una Lynskey are seeking clarity on matters relevant to the murder of their sibling.
“The subsequent prosecutions taken against Dick Donnelly and Martin Conmey have had a significant impact on them and their families.
“Martin Conmey and the families of Dick Donnelly and Martin Kerrigan have questions as to the Garda investigations that took place in 1971.
“I as the Reviewing Officer have been appointed to carry out a ‘Full Review’ of the investigation into the murder of Una Lynskey and Martin Kerrigan.”
McTiernan said he hopes this review will “bring the events at the end of 1971 to some conclusion for all those involved”.
He urged anyone with information in relation to the murder of Una Lynskey and Martin Kerrigan to contact either the investigation team at Ashbourne Garda Station at 01 8010600, their local Garda Station or the Garda Confidential telephone line 1800 666 111.
“I appeal to any person who has information on these murders not to assume we know or that it has limited value,” said McTiernan. “Let us make that decision.”
In response to today’s announcement that a full review is being carried out into the murders, the Irish Council of Civil Liberties (ICCL) has called for an independent investigation into the role of gardaí in the case.
The ICCL said “significant concerns have been raised about the role and conduct of members of the gardaí in this case, including allegations of human rights violations relating to the abuse of the arrested men during garda interrogation”.
The spokesperson added: “The notion that An Garda Síochána will now investigate its own actions is completely unacceptable.”
Liam Herrick, executive director of the ICCL, said: “For over 50 years, An Garda Síochána has denied that the men were mistreated in custody and has never acknowledged the abuse the men suffered while being interrogated at Trim Garda Station.
“This case once again highlights the critical failure of the Irish State to provide accountability for our police service in cases of the most serious human rights violations.
“The Lynskey case was just one of a number of cases where the so-called Garda ‘Heavy Gang’ has been implicated in abuse of suspects which led to miscarriages of justice.
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