Ian Bailey's final farewell as family scatter ashes at Cork pier ceremony
Ian Bailey, self-confessed chief suspect in the unsolved Sophie Toscan Du Plantier murder case, spent most of his later years fighting one legal battle after another.
So it was a fitting end of sorts when the last person to bid him a final farewell was a descendant of the legendary West of Ireland warrior and Pirate Queen, Grace O'Malley.
George O'Malley made a 640km round trip journey from his home in Newport, Co. Mayo, to be at the scattering of the ashes ceremony yesterday organised by the late journalist's family. Ian Bailey. Pic: Tom Honan
He was the last one to step forward to help sprinkle some ashes, and George's parting words to his friend of 15 years were: 'May your spirit fly over here forever.'
And with that the remains of the man – who was questioned twice by gardaí in connection with the brutal murder of the French filmmaker and convicted in absentia of killing the mother of one by a French court – flew over a wild honeysuckle hedge to disappear forever from sight.
The former journalist died in January 2024 as he walked from his home in Bantry, Co. Cork, to his car which was parked on a nearby street. He collapsed on the street after suffering a fatal heart attack. Ian Bailey. Pic: RollingNews.ie
Yesterday his sister Kay Reynolds explained his relatives decided to scatter his ashes on Midsummer's Eve so they could also commemorate her brother's arrival in Ireland.
She told a small group of about 40 friends and journalists gathered on a pier outside the pretty West Cork village of Ballydehob: 'Ian loved Ireland with a passion and it is over 30 years ago tomorrow that he arrived in Ireland.
'Except for one situation, he told me the international arrest warrant, which meant he couldn't leave the country, didn't bother him that much as there was nowhere else he'd rather be. Ian Bailey. Pic: RollingNews.ie
'The exception to this was not being able to come and see our failing mother Brenda in England and attend her subsequent funeral. He felt the cruelty of this very, very much.
'There were many blows over the years. However, I think the biggest of all was his split from Jules, which blindsided him and left him hopeless.
'Jules had loyally supported him for over 30 years but I personally believe it [the split] was the real start of his demise.'
Among those who attended yesterday's ceremony were filmmaker Jim Sheridan, documentary maker Donal MacIntyre, and Sam Bungey, who co-produced a podcast about the murder of Sophie Toscan Du Plantier. Others included Ian Bailey's legal team of solicitor Frank Buttimer and barristers Jim Duggan and Tom Creed.
Ms Toscan Du Plantier's battered body was found close to her isolated holiday home in West Cork on December 23, 1996. No one has ever been charged or convicted in Ireland for the death of the 39-year-old filmmaker.
Paying tribute to Sophie and her heartbroken family yesterday Bailey's sister Kay said: 'I would just ask you to think of Sophie and her family for a moment. I hope they get true justice and some form of peace.'
She then added: 'A deep regret, held I'm sure by you here today as well, is that his name wasn't cleared in his lifetime. This is so sad. Ian may you rest in peace.'
Although Bailey was convicted of her murder in his absence by a French court in 2019, he died without ever admitting guilt. He was questioned twice by gardaí about her death but was never put on trial here.
The Irish courts repeatedly refused requests from the French authorities seeking Bailey's extradition.
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Extra.ie
6 hours ago
- Extra.ie
Ian Bailey's final farewell as family scatter ashes at Cork pier ceremony
Ian Bailey, self-confessed chief suspect in the unsolved Sophie Toscan Du Plantier murder case, spent most of his later years fighting one legal battle after another. So it was a fitting end of sorts when the last person to bid him a final farewell was a descendant of the legendary West of Ireland warrior and Pirate Queen, Grace O'Malley. George O'Malley made a 640km round trip journey from his home in Newport, Co. Mayo, to be at the scattering of the ashes ceremony yesterday organised by the late journalist's family. Ian Bailey. Pic: Tom Honan He was the last one to step forward to help sprinkle some ashes, and George's parting words to his friend of 15 years were: 'May your spirit fly over here forever.' And with that the remains of the man – who was questioned twice by gardaí in connection with the brutal murder of the French filmmaker and convicted in absentia of killing the mother of one by a French court – flew over a wild honeysuckle hedge to disappear forever from sight. The former journalist died in January 2024 as he walked from his home in Bantry, Co. Cork, to his car which was parked on a nearby street. He collapsed on the street after suffering a fatal heart attack. Ian Bailey. Pic: Yesterday his sister Kay Reynolds explained his relatives decided to scatter his ashes on Midsummer's Eve so they could also commemorate her brother's arrival in Ireland. She told a small group of about 40 friends and journalists gathered on a pier outside the pretty West Cork village of Ballydehob: 'Ian loved Ireland with a passion and it is over 30 years ago tomorrow that he arrived in Ireland. 'Except for one situation, he told me the international arrest warrant, which meant he couldn't leave the country, didn't bother him that much as there was nowhere else he'd rather be. Ian Bailey. Pic: 'The exception to this was not being able to come and see our failing mother Brenda in England and attend her subsequent funeral. He felt the cruelty of this very, very much. 'There were many blows over the years. However, I think the biggest of all was his split from Jules, which blindsided him and left him hopeless. 'Jules had loyally supported him for over 30 years but I personally believe it [the split] was the real start of his demise.' Among those who attended yesterday's ceremony were filmmaker Jim Sheridan, documentary maker Donal MacIntyre, and Sam Bungey, who co-produced a podcast about the murder of Sophie Toscan Du Plantier. Others included Ian Bailey's legal team of solicitor Frank Buttimer and barristers Jim Duggan and Tom Creed. Ms Toscan Du Plantier's battered body was found close to her isolated holiday home in West Cork on December 23, 1996. No one has ever been charged or convicted in Ireland for the death of the 39-year-old filmmaker. Paying tribute to Sophie and her heartbroken family yesterday Bailey's sister Kay said: 'I would just ask you to think of Sophie and her family for a moment. I hope they get true justice and some form of peace.' She then added: 'A deep regret, held I'm sure by you here today as well, is that his name wasn't cleared in his lifetime. This is so sad. Ian may you rest in peace.' Although Bailey was convicted of her murder in his absence by a French court in 2019, he died without ever admitting guilt. He was questioned twice by gardaí about her death but was never put on trial here. The Irish courts repeatedly refused requests from the French authorities seeking Bailey's extradition.
Irish Daily Mirror
14 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Ian Bailey's ashes scattered in west Cork
A sister of Ian Bailey said innocent victim Sophie Toscan du Plantier's family is 'misguided' for believing that he killed her. Kay Reynolds was speaking on Friday when she scattered her brother's ashes near the 1996 death site in west Cork, as he requested. Bailey, who died 16 months ago, was found guilty of French filmmaker Sophie's murder in a trial in France in 2019 without his attendance. Ms Reynolds spoke of how Bailey cherished the area, which he was tied to for legal reasons, and claimed the murder probe impacted his health. She said her sibling 'had nothing to hide' and she expressed sympathy for the family of Sophie. She told Cork's 96fm Opinion Line with PJ Coogan: 'He absolutely loved West Cork with a passion. 'I know there was the warrant that meant he couldn't leave the country and he used to say, 'I wouldn't want to be anywhere else'.' When producer Paul Byrne asked Kay if 'pressure' from the 'murder investigation' contributed to 'his already ill health?', she said: 'Without question.' She added: 'I think if he'd have kept quiet, it would have been better. But that wasn't Ian's style. He felt he didn't need to hide. 'He had nothing to hide. And so he confronted his challenges face on. 'I think it came out very close to the time that there were things, I think, that the gardai felt only someone involved in the crime would have known. I don't think that helped. But as a family, we never thought that he'd done these things because that was his style of journalism. 'When he lived in Gloucester, we were near GCHQ, and he found out all sorts of things that other journalists didn't. 'He thought outside the box and he came up with things that no one else had thought about. And I think that's really what had to happen there and in the end became his downfall, really. He came up with all sorts of ideas around what had happened and that's how he became a suspect.' Kay stated she never questioned her brother's innocence and vowed: 'Never for a second.' She added: 'We never doubted him that he'd been involved in this.' She also expressed sympathy with Sophie's relatives and said: 'A very young mother was brutally murdered. 'I feel so sorry for the family because I think because of their misguided belief that Ian committed the murder, they've just had so many years of torture. 'And I just wish them peace around this. And hopefully the cold case will [help]. It's just not only losing her, but to have no peace and thinking that Ian was the perpetrator and that he's got away with it. 'I can't imagine what that must be like for them. And I just feel so sorry for them.' Taoiseach Micheal Martin claimed last year, when he was Tanaiste, the State let Bailey away with Sophie's murder. After he died in 2024 f rom a suspected heart attack, gardai conducted a search under warrant of his home and seized items, including a laptop computer, memory sticks, notebooks, and materials with DNA.
The Irish Sun
16 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Ian Bailey's ‘final goodbye' with ashes scattered at Cork pier as family say Sophie murder accusation ‘took toll on him'
THE family of Ian Bailey have scattered his ashes in the sea off west Cork. Bailey — the chief suspect in the 1996 5 Ian Bailey died of a heart attack in January 2024 Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd 5 Ian's sister Kay scattered his ashes at Skeaghanore Pier Credit: Michael Mac Sweeney/Provision 5 Sophie Toscan du Plantier was murdered in Ireland in 1996 Credit: Copyright remains with handout provider The His grieving sister Kay Reynolds arranged a private funeral for the journalist after he dropped dead on a Bantry street last year. Bailey was cremated and Kay initially brought his ashes back to Kay said: 'He absolutely loved west READ MORE IN IAN BAILEY 'It is very appropriate that this is where we spread his ashes. It is something he wanted.' Opening up about his passing, she recalled: 'He had been quite fit until the last couple of years. 'It finally got to him. He was not taking care of himself, but it was all to do with the pressure. 'It had been relentless for almost 30 years. It took its toll on him. Most read in The Irish Sun 'There were times he did not help himself. I think if he had kept quiet it would have been better, but that was not Ian's style. He had nothing to hide and he would not hide. He confronted his challengers face on. ' Ian Bailey's final post revealed as he thanks fans for the 'most successful year' days before dying aged 66 'I don't think that helped.' 'DOWNFALL' Kay told 96FM producer Paul Byrne, who was one of a few invited guests attending the final ceremony: 'As a family, we never thought that he had done this. 'That was Ian's style of journalism. He thought outside the box. 'I think that was what happened there and became his downfall. She said she Kay insisted: 'From the moment he told us, he phoned us to let us know we would start to see things in the paper about him, we never doubted him — that he had not been involved in this.' Kay also remembered Sophie, who was TIMELINE OF SOPHIE CASE December 23, 1996: Sophie's battered body, still in night clothes, is found outside her holiday home near Schull, west Cork, by a neighbour. February 10, 1997: Ian Bailey is arrested at his home for the murder but is later released. April 17, 1997: Inquest hears Sophie died from multiple injuries, including laceration of the brain and skull fracture, caused by a blunt instrument. January 27, 1998: Ian Bailey is arrested and quizzed for a second time, but is again released without charge. January 2002: A review is ordered into the murder investigation after a highly critical report is written by a solicitor. June 2008: A French magistrate orders the exhumation of Sophie's body for a post-mortem and forensic examination. July 2008: An inquiry into the handling of the murder probe recommends no prosecution. June to October 2009: French authorities travel to West Cork to view the crime scene and meet Irish investigators. Two Garda detectives travel to February 19, 2010: A French judge issues a European Arrest Warrant. April 23, 2010: March 18, 2011: High Court orders Bailey to surrender to European arrest warrant but he appeals to Supreme Court. March 1, 2012: The Supreme Court rules in Bailey's favour in his appeal against extradition. May 31, 2019: Bailey is found guilty of Sophie's murder in his absence in France. He is sentenced to 25 years in June 21, 2019: French authorities issue a third October 12, 2020: High Court rules against Bailey being extradited. Later, State decides not to appeal. It ends attempts to extradite Bailey. She said: 'This is not to forget that a very young mother was brutally murdered. 'I feel so sorry for the family because of the misguided belief that Ian committed the murder. They have just had so many years of torture.' Kay added: 'This is a final goodbye. And it's just doing the right thing by Ian and all of the support that he's had.' 5 The house where Sophie Toscan du Plantier stayed in Cork Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd 5 Kay initially brought his ashes back to Britain Credit: Michael Mac Sweeney/Provision
