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Telegraph
16-07-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
Rahm to win and DeChambeau to bomb out – our writers' Open Championship predictions
The Open Championship is back at Royal Portrush, and the expectations of drama are already rising. With the first tee shot creeping closer, we tasked our golf correspondents with scripting how this major might unfold. Who will win? Shane Lowry He has been due a win all year and there is nobody better among his peers at links golf. He is the best chipper in the world and that is a boon around this layout. All the pressure will be on Rory McIlroy, and once again the man from Clara in County Offaly can burst through from the relative shadows to steal the local hero's thunder. James Corrigan, Golf Correspondent Scottie Scheffler Boring prediction but he's the bookies' favourite for a reason. Best player in the world. Tom Cary Jon Rahm The Spaniard was a runner-up in the LIV Golf League at Valderrama. Having been tied in 11th at Royal Portrush in 2019, he is in his prime at age 30 to go on a run for the Claret Jug. Tom Morgan Jon Rahm After a small major dip since joining LIV, the Spaniard has shown glimpses of his best at the big tournaments this year. He was Scottie Scheffler's biggest threat at the PGA Championship until the final three holes and finished T7 at Oakmont last month. He arrives at Portrush having finished second last week at LIV's event in his homeland and carded his best Open finish last year at Royal Troon. A man in form. Frankie Christou Justin Rose None of the leading lights look rock-solid so I am throwing a dart at an outsider, albeit one with outstanding pedigree. Rose had an underwhelming Open record for many years, but has finished in the top 25 in six of his last nine tries, including a runner-up finish at Royal Troon last year. There have been three top-six finishes and four missed cuts in his last seven major appearances, so it has been a case of duck or no dinner, but when Rose's putter is warm he can still mix it with the game's best. Banked a top-10 finish at the Scottish Open last week, and The Open has always rewarded experience and nous. After McIlroy pipped him at Augusta, wouldn't it be typical for Rose to find redemption on the Northern Irishman's home turf? Dan Zeqiri The dark horse Russell Henley He is world No 5 and 66-1? That is ridiculous. Not the most extravagant golfer, but is a top-10 specialist and one of these weeks is going to land a big one. James Corrigan, Golf Correspondent Ryan Fox The New Zealander has the game to contend at an Open and did well the last time it was held at Portrush, finishing T16, his best finish at a major. Tom Cary Russell Henley Underrated, but showing signs he is of the calibre of player to win a major. Would be some leap, however, at the age of 36. His biggest ever career win came in March at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Tom Morgan Harry Hall With many English hopes hanging on Tommy Fleetwood or Tyrrell Hatton, the Cornish flat-cap wearing 28-year-old has gone under the radar. Hall has been having an impressive year on the PGA Tour this season and has found some form just in time for Portrush, finishing outside the top 20 just once since May. Frankie Christou Cameron Young The fact he did not bother playing the Scottish Open is a negative, but Young has played in three Opens and finished in the top eight twice, never missing the cut. He has also finished in the top five at the US Open and US PGA Championship, and in the top 10 at the Masters twice. His powerful driving suits the game's toughest tests and he is worth keeping an eye on. Dan Zeqiri Big name to miss the cut Justin Thomas Adore him as a golfer, but just do not think he gets links golf. His record agrees. Not one top 10 in eight Opens – and only one top 30. Would love to be wrong as when he is on a roll is one the game's best to watch. James Corrigan, Golf Correspondent Bryson DeChambeau Three missed cuts in seven Opens suggests he isn't entirely comfortable with links golf. Finished T30 at LIV Andalucia last week. Tom Cary Francesco Molinari Europe's vice-captain has spoken regularly of his unhappiness since winning the 2018 Open. He failed to make the cut at Royal Troon last year and he is going to struggle here again. Tom Morgan Collin Morikawa The two-time major winner has chewed up and spat out two caddies this year alone and has landed on Matt Fitzpatrick's former bagman Billy Foster for The Open. Their first outing together ended in a missed cut last week at the Scottish Open and he has not finished inside the top 10 in his last five major starts. I expect the blame game to continue before the American starts to look in the mirror. Frankie Christou Bryson DeChambeau The American has been off-colour since missing the cut at last month's US Open as defending champion. Despite two strong finishes in 2019 and 2021, the capricious nature of links golf has never looked receptive to DeChambeau's precise calculations. Dan Zeqiri Best performing Brit Tyrrell Hatton A penny dropped for Hatton at the US Open, when he was in the mix until a bad break on the 17th. Finished seventh here last time. On a different level now. James Corrigan, Golf Correspondent Tommy Fleetwood You could make a case for any number of Brits to contend, but I fancy Fleetwood to bounce back from heartbreak at the Travelers. Tom Cary Tyrrell Hatton Excellent at the US Open last month, before eventually dipping late on. Hatton loves the Open and he demonstrated his ability with a T6 at Royal Portrush in 2019. Tom Morgan Rory McIlroy Not sticking my neck out here, but his showing last week at the Renaissance Club was encouraging after his post-Masters slump. His 61 as a 16-year-old at Portrush is still the course record and the fact it is in his home country should have given him the added motivation he has been lacking. Frankie Christou Matt Fitzpatrick Rose aside of course, it was heartening to see Fitzpatrick looking more like his old self at the Scottish Open and he is the type of nuggety competitor who should thrive at the Open. Much like Lowry, winner at Royal Portrush in 2019, he is highly proficient around the greens and scrambling is likely to be key. Dan Zeqiri What you'd like to see The Open challenge The wind to blow and everyone to realise that the Open is the best major there is, held on the most stunning layouts. James Corrigan, Golf Correspondent McIlroy to win on home soil Fleetwood to bounce back from heartbreak at the Travelers. Rose to bounce back from heartbreak at Augusta. Westwood to roll back the years. Tyrrell Hatton to channel his temper and win a big one. McIlroy to win an emotional Open on home soil. All would be incredible but the last would shake the Giant's Causeway to its foundations. Tom Cary Rory win It's an unimaginative answer, but it is hard not to hope for a Rory McIlroy triumph. Nothing will beat the career grand slam being rounded off in April, but after struggling for motivation since, McIlroy securing a victory here on home turf would be some story. Tom Morgan England's oldies to have a go Lee Westwood and Rose will be, if not already, considered as England's greatest ever golfers in the modern era behind Nick Faldo but it is astonishing neither have lifted the Claret Jug. Rose went close last year, while Westwood is back following a three-year absence after getting in through qualifying. If either of them manage to flirt with the lead come Sunday, it will make for great entertainment and no doubt the whole country will be rooting for them to bring an end to this 32-year curse. Frankie Christou Hatton in the heat of battle Hatton has one of the most complete games in the field and is getting closer to a major breakthrough. He was right in the mix with two holes to play at Oakmont, before finishing with consecutive bogeys. In Hatton's defence, he suffered a rotten piece of misfortune on the 17th when his ball stopped in thick rough rather than rolling back into the bunker. Often appears to be in a fight with himself as well as the course, but that can be compelling in itself. Dan Zeqiri
BBC News
03-07-2025
- BBC News
Ashling Murphy: Partner settles defamation against BBC
The partner of murdered school teacher Ashling Murphy has settled his High Court claim for defamation against the Casey, 27, sued the organisation following the broadcast of an episode of the live political programme The View on 30 November programme was broadcast just under two weeks after Mr Casey had delivered a victim impact statement at the sentence hearing of Jozef Puska for the murder of Ms Murphy, 23, was murdered in January 2022 as she jogged on the banks of the Grand Canal near Tullamore, County Offaly. It is understood Mr Casey has received substantial damages as well as a contribution towards his costs amounting to a six figure sum.
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
How to plan a self-drive boat tour of Ireland's River Shannon
This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK). The Irish heartlands put the emerald in the Emerald Isle — and the River Shannon, which flows from County Cavan to County Kerry, is its lifeblood. It takes its name from the Celtic goddess Sinann: legend tells that she lifted the cover of a forbidden well in the Cavan Mountains, causing a flood to burst forth. Her drowned life force ebbed into the river she'd made, creating flower-filled meadows, tousled islands and fertile fields. Cruising has long been a wonderful way to explore the Shannon — the longest river in Ireland — but now there's more reason than ever to try it as the river's boat fleet has been converted to hydro-treated vegetable oil (HVO) fuel, cutting carbon emissions by 92%. And compared to the crowded coast, Ireland's heartlands receive a tiny fraction of the country's visitors. Here, it's less about ticking off a checklist of sights and more about slowing down and drifting along, occasionally pausing at a village pub or millennium-old monastery. And beyond the river itself, the region has national parks to explore. Rambling among their ancient hills will teach you the true meaning of green. MorningThe town of Banagher in County Offaly is a popular starting point for self-drive river cruises. Before you set off, get acquainted with the Shannon by taking a dip in the Banagher Outdoor Swimming Pool, opposite the harbour. It was made by cordoning off a section of the river with safety walls and attracts plenty of cheerful swimmers, who make strokes with a view of Banagher Bridge. Once you've dried off, pick up your boat at Banagher Marina and putter north. Before you, the Shannon Callows (floodplains) unfurl in all their emerald majesty. Chestnut-brown cows and donkeys snuffle along the banks; swans ride the river's swell; herons stalk the rushes. More rarely, you might encounter corncrakes, skylarks and sedge warblers. AfternoonThere's no mistaking the town of Shannonbridge — its 16-arched namesake straddles the banks, finishing in a fort that lords it over the river like a stone fist. In the early 1800s, the threat of Napoleonic invasion, assisted by pro-independence Irish, weighed heavy on the minds of British colonists. Their response was to build Martello towers around the coast and fortifications all the way up the Shannon, of which Shannonbridge Fort is one of the best examples. Though now three-quarters demolished, it still cuts an imposing silhouette — plus, it has a great cafe. Visit the exhibition on the fort's history, then storm the ramparts — open to visitors this year — and look down on the fort's remains. EveningFrom Shannonbridge, it'll take around three to four hours to motor up to Lough Ree, where you'll see the golden-hour light shimmering on its surface and dancing over the reeds. If you're lucky, you may spot otters at dusk. Park at the moorings for Glasson Lakehouse, on the lake's southeastern shore. Inside, it's all tufted leather, waxed timber beams and stone fireplaces. At Bonnie's restaurant, Glasson native Dee Adamson crafts seasonal menus that marry Irish ingredients with pan-European flair, including dishes like chargrilled pork belly with onion tuille. Sleep on the boat or splash out on a room here — they come with a record player, lots of funky art and some have a lake-view balcony. MorningGlide back south to Athlone — one of the largest towns in the heartlands and on the Shannon. This is, in many ways, Ireland's crossroads, having witnessed rebellions, sieges and Viking raids. As you walk from the marina, your first sight is of Athlone Castle, built in 1210 and remodelled during the Napoleonic period into the hulking, multi-towered fortification that still stands. Inside, an interactive exhibition describes the town's history. Next door, the Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul is a powerful statement of post-independence Catholicism. For lunch, stop by The Left Bank Bistro: the crowd-pleasing menu includes chunky focaccia sandwiches using local produce. AfternoonThe approach to Clonmacnoise from the river is one that catches the breath, as spectral shadows on the horizon resolve into a gutted monastery, twin towers and a scattering of Celtic crosses. This was once one of the most important religious settlements in Europe, founded by Saint Ciarán in around 545 CE. Temple Ciarán, just 10ft wide, is believed to be the saint's resting place, from which pilgrims still take a pinch of earth for luck. Also seek out the 13ft-high Cross of the Scriptures, carved with scenes of Christ's crucifixion and resurrection. It's now housed in the visitor centre, where you'll also find original grave slabs, a video presentation and an exhibition on life on the Callows. EveningReturn to Athlone for the nightlife. Fill up first at Thyme, a Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant on the banks of the Shannon serving elevated Irish cuisine in a swish, herb-coloured dining room. Afterwards, head next door to the Dead Centre microbrewery to sample its IPAs, stouts and ales. Athlone is perhaps most famous as the home of Sean's Bar — officially the oldest pub in Ireland, dating to 900 CE. A section of the original wattle-and-daub wall is still visible, next to the Guinness World Record certificate. Grab an Irish coffee — laced with the bar's own Sean's Whiskey — and if there's live music, nod along to the thrum of fiddle and bodhrán (drum). Carrick-on-ShannonThe Shannon's northern reaches show a different side to the river: narrower, curvier and dotted with islands. Boat trips here often start at Carrick-on-Shannon, the largest town in County Leitrim. Pick up urban walking trail guides at the tourist information centre and explore its architectural curiosities: the Italianate-Gothic fusion of Hatley Manor, the pastel facades and vibrant doors of St George's Terrace. Most curious of all is the 12ft-wide Costello Memorial Chapel — Ireland's smallest church. Businessman Edward Costello built it in 1879 in memory of his wife, Mary Josephine. Next door is the multi-award-winning Flynn's Bar, where bartenders pull pints of Guinness as smooth as the Shannon. Lough KeyMeandering north west from Carrick-on-Shannon, you'll glide past bobbing cormorants and the indigo smudge of Sliabh an Iarainn (Iron Mountain). Once you've squeezed through Clarendon Lock, the trees part onto the silvery mirror of Lough Key, where you'll meet McDermott's Castle. Tie up at the jetty for the Lough Key Forest Park — formerly the Rockingham Estate, owned by the aristocratic King family. The Rockingham Remembered self-guided tour leads you through the bowels of the old house, which burned down in 1957. There's also a tree canopy walk, and the Moylurg Tower, resembling a Brutalist headstone, has a fantastic view of the lough and its islands — if you can scale its 160 steps, that is. BoyleSouth west of Lough Key, slip into a narrow, hedgerow-hemmed canal running parallel to the Boyle River, which ends in a marina. From there, it's a short walk to the market town of Boyle. If you can, time your visit with the Courtyard Farmers' Market, open on Saturdays — you'll find locally made Leitrim Hill Creamery cheeses, Pyne's preserves from County Sligo, handmade jewellery and watercolour paintings. Otherwise, drop into King House, a restored Georgian mansion. Inside is a collection of Irish paintings and sculptures, plus international pieces donated by former Irish president Mary McAleese. Afterwards, wander up to Boyle Abbey, a 12th-century Cistercian monastery with carvings of monks and animals in its upper reaches. Published in the June 2025 issue of National Geographic Traveller (UK).To subscribe to National Geographic Traveller (UK) magazine click here. (Available in select countries only).
Daily Mail
30-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Stunning breakthrough in infamous case of eight woman missing for 28 years raises hopes that one of Ireland's biggest mysteries could finally be solved
One of Ireland's biggest unsolved cases may finally find a resolution after three decades thanks to a new witness. Between the late eighties and early nineties, eight women went missing from across the Emerald Isle - in what's became known as 'Ireland's Vanishing Triangle. One of the women, Fiona Pender, was 25 and seven months pregnant when she went missing from her flat in Tullamore in August 1996. The cases have baffled police from years, but in a major update the Gardia have upgraded Fiona's disappearance to murder. This week they searched a new area of land at Graigue, close to the village of Killeigh, around 8 km from Tullamore, County Offaly, in the middle of Ireland. It is understood gardaí received new information deemed credible enough to warrant the latest search and the upgrading of the investigation. The search of a remote area of bogland started on Tuesday as gardaí hoped for a breakthrough in the nearly 30-year investigation. However it quickly moved to a second location on Wednesday and continued well into the night. The force told The Irish Independent: 'Gardaí investigating the disappearance and murder of Fiona Pender in August 1996 have today, Wednesday 28th May 2025, commenced another search operation on open ground at a location in Co. Laois. Fiona was last seen leaving home by her boyfriend John Thomson. In 2008 a small cross bearing her name was found along the The Slieve Bloom Way, but her body has never been recovered. She was just one of a string of disappearances that haunted Ireland in the 1990s commonly referred to as the Vanishing Triangle, none of the women have ever been found so investigators have very little evidence to link the disappearances. In a major update on the case, police have upgraded Fiona's disappearance to murder and have decided to search a new area of land at Graigue, close to the village of Killeigh, around 8 km from Tullamore, Co Offaly. 'This area of land will be searched and subject to excavation, technical and forensic examinations. 'This search forms part of a sustained investigation carried out by Gardaí in Laois/ Offaly Garda Division over the last 28-years to establish Fiona's whereabouts and to investigate the circumstances in which Fiona disappeared.' Gardaí have since concluded the search operation in Co Offaly, however the results are not being released for operational reasons. It has been reported that gardaí are keen to talk to a man they have long classified as the chief suspect but he has been abroad for more than a decade now. He was one of five people detained for questioning in 1997, but there have been no arrests since. Fiona was dating her partner for three years before she vanished, she was living in the UK with him when she became pregnant and the pair decided to move home to Ireland to raise the baby. The day before her disappearance she went shopping for baby clothes with her mother. Her partner John said she was feeling unwell on the day of her disappearance and he suggested she go to see the GP while he went to work. Police took her disappearance seriously and immediately began working to determine what happened to the expectant mother. In early 1997, five people, who were all from the same family were arrested and questioned by police One of the five arrested was the chief suspect, while the others were detained for withholding information. However they were all released without charged. Since then, there has been no other arrests or leads in the case and it went cold for decades. Speaking with In The News podcast for the Irish Times, Security and Crime Editor, Conor Lally said: 'Gardai has received fresh information which has obviously pinpointed the location for the investigation. 'The new information that the gardai investigation team has suggested Fiona's remains are there, whether it will be accurate or not we just don't know. 'We don't know where it came from and we don't know why it surfacing now but we believe it was only relayed to gardai recently.' Conor said the prime suspect in the case now lives abroad, however he claimed police would need to find Fiona's remains to be able to link anyone to the case. He added: 'We have never had one other case where a murder conviction has been secured in Ireland without the victim's body been found, these are very difficult cases.' Between 1993 and 1998, six women disappeared: Fiona, Annie McCarrick, Jo Jo Dullard, Fiona Sinnott, Ciara Breen and Deidre Jacob. Eva Brennan and Imelda Keenan are also often referred to in the case. What is Ireland's 'Vanishing Triangle' and who were the eight women who disappeared? In 1993, America-born Annie McCarrick disappeared while living in Dublin. Her case was the first of several that would become known as the Vanishing Triangle disappearances. In each case, a young or middle-aged woman vanished suddenly from the eastern part of Ireland and no trace of them was ever found. Police officially linked six of the disappearances and launched a joint investigation called Operation Trace in 1998, before the crimes stopped. Annie McCarrick. Born in New York in 1966, she lived there until relocating to Ireland in 1987. At the time she vanished she was living in the Dublin area. The last confirmed sighting of her was in Enniskerry in 1993. McCarrick was later reported drinking at a pub in Glencullen with a man who has never been identified. She has not been heard from since. Jo Jo Dullard. Born in 1974 in Callan, Jo Jo was also living in Dublin around the time of her disappearance. She was travelling from Dublin to Callan in July 1995 when she vanished. Jo Jo made a phone call from a payphone in Moone and witnesses said she was later seen leaning on the back of a dark coloured Toyota, talking to someone inside. The car and driver were never traced. She remains missing. Fiona Pender. A life-long resident of Tullamore, where she was born in 1971, Fiona went missing in August 1996 while seven months pregnant. She was last seen leaving home by her boyfriend. In 2008 a small cross bearing her name was found along the The Slieve Bloom Way, but her body has never been recovered. Fiona Sinnott. Born in Rosslare, Fiona was living in nearby Broadway when she vanished in 1998 at the age of 19. She was the mother of an 11-month-old. The last confirmed sighting of her was at a pub with friends, which she left around midnight accompanied by ex-partner Sean Carroll, the father of her daughter. He says he slept on her sofa, and when he left the next morning she was in bed planning a trip to the doctor. Ciara Breen. She was living with her mother in Dundalk when she vanished in 1998, aged 17. Her mother recalls the pair going to bed around midnight before she got up to use the bathroom around 2am and found Ciara gone. Ciara's window was open and left on the latch, suggesting she planned to return, but she never did. Deidre Jacob. The Newbridge native was studying in Twickenham, London, but had returned home for the summer before vanishing in 1998. She was spotted within just yards of her parents' house by multiple witnesses, but never made it home. A seventh case, not included in Operation Trace but often referenced alongside the disappearances, is that of Eva Brennan. Eva vanished in July 1993 shortly after a family lunch in Terenure, Dublin. She was depressed prior to her disappearance. She was known to visit her parents every day but failed to show on the next two occasions, so her father went to her home and found her gone. She has not been seen since. Similarly, Imelda Keenan vanished from Waterford city, where she had been studying. She was reported missing on the morning of January 3, 1994 last seen in a pair of leopard-skin trousers and a denim jacket. She told her fiancée that she was going out to the post office and was last seen walking past a bridge walked past the William Street Bridge in Waterford city. SUSPECTS None of the Vanishing Triangle women have ever been found so investigators have very little evidence to link the crimes, save geographical area and the suddenness of their disappearance. One potential suspect touted in the past was Larry Murphy, who was jailed for the rape and attempted murder of a young woman in Carlow in 2001. Murphy had kidnapped the woman, put her in the boot of his car and taken her to the Wicklow Mountains where she was repeatedly raped. He then tried to strangle the victim to death but two hunters happened upon the scene, saved the woman, and helped identify Murphy as the attacker, leading to his arrest. Murphy has been questioned over the Vanishing Triangle cases but has always denied being connected with any of them. In November 2024, police arrested a man on suspicion of JoJo's murder. They became known as the 'Vanishing Triangle' eight due to the shape made by the disappearances when plotted on the map, forming a triangle in a roughly 80-mile area outside of Dublin. None of the Vanishing Triangle women have ever been found so investigators have very little evidence to link the disappearances, save geographical area and the suddenness of their disappearance, but many have speculated that a serial killer could have been at work. No one has ever been convicted of their disappearances or deaths and they remain missing in the area to this day. Josephine Dullard, known as Jo Jo, went missing on November 9, 1995, after spending an evening on Harry Street in Dublin. The then 21-year-old had been socialising in Bruxelles bar and was travelling back to her home in Callan when she vanished. Last year, police arrested an unnamed man on suspicion of Jo Jo's murder - with searches for her body taking place in Wicklow, near the Kildare border. On the night of her disappearance, Josephine had missed her bus home to Kilkenny and instead bordered a 10pm bus to Naas, from where she then intended to hitchhike home. She hitched a lift from Naas to the slip road on the M9 motorway at Kilcullen and at 11.15pm got another lift to Moone in the county. Detectives discovered that she had made a phone call from a payphone in Moone. During that call, Ms Dullard told her friend Mary Cullinan that a car had stopped for her and she was going to take the lift. Witnesses said she was later seen leaning on the back of a dark coloured Toyota, talking to someone inside. But the car and driver were never traced. Her disappearance was confirmed to be classified as murder in November 2020, with investigators believing that serious harm came to her around the time of her disappearance. Speaking about the latest development, superintendent Paul Burke said: 'This area of land will be searched and subject to excavation, technical and forensic examinations over the coming days. 'The arrest and search operation is being led by the investigation team from Kildare Division Serious Crime Unit and the Serious Crime Review Team, Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation. 'The search is being carried out by the Kildare Divisional Search Team supported by the Garda National Technical Bureau and local Divisional Scenes of Crime Unit. 'The search operation has the support of other state expertise, if required, including the attendance of a Forensic Archaeologist on site.' The first of the 'Triangle' disappearances was Annie McCarrick, 26, from New York, who was last seen taking a bus to Enniskerry on March 26, 1993 after telling a friend she planned to go to the Wicklow Mountains for the day. The same year Eva Brennan vanished shortly after a family lunch in Terenure, Dublin followed by student Imelda Keenan, who was last seen in Waterford city in 1994. Two years later Fiona Sinnott (left) vanished in Rosslare while Ciara Breen (centre) disappeared later that year in Dundalk and Deidre Jacob (right) vanished in 1998 in Kildare In November 1995, Jo Jo disappeared while hitching home at night in Co Kildare while Fiona Pender was last seen leaving home by her boyfriend in 1996 while seven months pregnant. Two years later Fiona Sinnott vanished in Rosslare after leaving a pub with accompanied by ex-partner Sean Carroll, the father of her daughter while Ciara Breen disappeared later that year in Dundalk. Deidre Jacob vanished in 1998 and was spotted by multiple witnesses within just yards of her parents' house before disappearing in Kildare. Eva Brennan is also referenced alongside the disappearances, vanishing in July 1993 shortly after a family lunch in Terenure, Dublin. Similarly, Imelda Keenan vanished from Waterford city, where she had been studying. She was reported missing on the morning of January 3, 1994. Speaking with In The News podcast for the Irish Times, Security and Crime Editor, Conor Lally said:' In 1999 gardai set up Operation Trace to compare all of these cases and to see if any of these cases were actually linked. 'No links were found and when you look back at these cases again there are chiefs suspects in nearly all of the cases and gardai suspect that a lot of these women are killed by men who were known to them. 'The common theme with all of these cases was no bodies were found, in policing back in the 90's was if you didn't have a body, you didn't have a murder.' However one potential suspect touted in the past was Larry Murphy, who was jailed for the rape and attempted murder of a young woman in Carlow in 2001. Could these cases be linked to the Vanishing Triangle? 1979 - Phyllis Murphy, 23, from Newbridge, went missing while out shopping in December. Her possessions were found scattered around nearby area and her clothes had been set on fire by the side of the road. Her body was found almost month later in a forest in Wicklow, she had been raped and strangled. Former Army sergeant John Crerar was convicted of her murder in 2002. 1982 - Patricia Furlong, 20, was strangled at music festival near Dublin. Her body was found near Johnny Fox's pub, in Glencullen. Chief suspect was Vincent Connell - he was convicted of Patricia's murder in 1991 but the verdict was quashed by the Court of Criminal Appeal in 1995. 1987 - Mother-of-two Antoinette Smith, 27, went missing after a night out to David Bowie concert. Her body was found almost a year later in the Wicklow mountains. There are no suspects in her murder but a Dublin taxi driver told police he picked up woman with two men and took them out of town. 1988 - Inga Maria Hauser, 18, was a German backpacker in Northern Ireland, Her Body found in Ballypatrick Forest, Ballycastle two weeks later. She had been raped, hit over the head, and her neck broken. In 2018 an unnamed man arrested but no one has ever been convicted of her killing. 1991 - Patricia Doherty, 30, was last seen waiting at a bus stop having gone for Christmas presents. Her body was found six months later in the bog less from a mile from where Antoinette Smith's body was found. Nobody has ever Been convicted of the murder. Pathologists thought she had been strangled, but didn't know for sure. Murphy had kidnapped the woman, put her in the boot of his car and taken her to the Wicklow Mountains where she was repeatedly raped. He then tried to strangle the victim to death but two hunters happened upon the scene, saved the woman, and helped identify Murphy as the attacker, leading to his arrest. Murphy has been questioned over the Vanishing Triangle cases but has always denied being connected with any of them. In 2005, Larry Murphy emerged as a 'person of interest' in the investigation into the murder of Deirdre Jacob. The 20-year-old, who had been studying in Twickenham, London, vanished outside of a post office - just yards from her parents house in Newbridge in 1998. In 2010, the Irish Mail on Sunday revealed that Larry had been doing work for Deirdre's grandmother in her sweetshop at the time the 18-year-old vanished from Newbridge, Co. Kildare. Garda sources revealed Murphy was carrying out carpentry work at the shop, which Deirdre visited just hours before she went missing. In August 2010, Larry Murphy was released from prison after serving 10 of his 15 year jail sentence. Gardaí have carried out extensive investigations into the disappearances over the years but so far have had no breakthrough in solving them. In 2008, the Garda brought a team of FBI agents to Ireland to review the evidence they had accumulated. These experienced profilers, who specialise in investigating serial killers in the United States, concluded that the unknown killers matched the Murphy profile. Meanwhile in 2014, retired detective sergeant Alan Bailey claimed that a member of the Provisional IRA may have killed her. At the time, he told RTÉ's Today with Sean O'Rourke programme that the American student met the IRA man, to whom he gave a fictional name Manus Dunne, at Johnnie Fox's pub in Glencullen in the Dublin mountains. Mr Bailey said that he 'started bragging about different exploits', naming colleagues before 'realising the enormity of what he had done.' The retired detective sergeant wrote that Manus offered a lift into town but 'drove her up the mountains where he killed her and concealed her body behind some bushes'. He said the information from a 'very reliable source', was a story that 'needs to be checked out'. In 2018, police in Ireland began investigating whether a married father-of-two shot dead after murdering a student had been involved in Annie's killing. Mark Hennessy, 40, was killed by officers hunting for missing Jastine Valdez, 24, near Dublin on Sunday before her body was discovered. Garda sources told the Irish Times that Hennessy's DNA profile would be checked against historic and recent disappearances to see if he is a serial killer. As part of that review, officers reexamined the infamous Vanishing Triangle cases to see if Hennnessy could be responsible. He would have been just 16 when Annie disappeared in 1993, but her case was still included in the review. Last year, the case gained prominence once again with the release of a new documentary Six Silent Killings on Sky, delving into the mystery of the Vanishing Triangle. The cases were explored by the journalist Geraldine Niland and the forensic scientist David Kenny, featuring moving reflections from the family and friends of those missing. The two-part documentary sought to bring the women's stories to light once more, and reignite the search for justice on their behalf. In March 2023, the Gardai also upgraded the Annie's case into a murder inquiry from a missing person's investigation in an incredible turn of events. It emerged that a man who lives in Annie's neighbourhood of Sandymount had been identified as a suspect, according to the Irish Mirror. On March 26, 1993, the 27-year-old, who was originally from New York, was last seen taking a bus to Enniskerry after telling a friend she planned to go to the Wicklow Mountains for the day. Speaking to the Irish Mirror, former detective Alan Bailey said Annie's brown leather satchel would be a 'gold mine' if found - as it may have traces of DNA. The last known CCTV footage of Annie shows the missing woman queuing in the Allied Irish Bank on Sandymount Road shortly before 11am on the morning of her disappearance. In the clip, Annie - who was the first of the eight to vanish - is wearing a longline coat and her leather bag is seen hanging off one shoulder. As the bag has never been found, retired officer Bailey - who led the Garda Cold Case Unit that was investigating Annie's disappearance in the 90s - thinks it is likely that the unknown assailant will have chosen to keep the item. He explained: 'The fact that the bag still remains missing would suggest that if she was taken and the bag wasn't disposed of, it was kept as a souvenir by her assailant.' At the time he was investigating, Bailey says Annie's bag would 'probably not yield anything of any evidential value'. But if it was discovered as part of the new murder enquiry, he said the advances in technology means it would be a key piece of the puzzle that could potentially shed light on the seven other disappearances which happened in the five years that followed. Reflecting on his career, Alan Bailey said that his 'one regret' is that he was never able to find out what happened to Annie and the other 'Vanishing Triangle' victims. In her audio book released in 2021, author Claire McGowan explores why these cases remain unsolved and highlights a series of other murders she believes could be linked to the eight missing people. She believes a culture of secrecy and victim blaming all had a role to play during the initial investigations - with retired officers admitting to her there was a 'certain amount of judgment' about the sexual behaviour of the women who disappeared. Speaking to FEMAIL previously, Claire speculated that while it's likely a serial killer was responsible in these cases, prime suspects within the women's own lives could also have been involved in some cases. She said: 'In some cases there is an obvious suspect. Three of the cases there was a man in their life who became a suspect, nothing was ever proved. 'What I've tried to do in the book is say - when you look into it, probably not all of those women were killed by the same person. 'But that's also an interesting story. Why if there is an obvious suspect and a history of domestic violence, why was that person never charged? 'Why would the police then be like, "Oh she's just disappeared" rather than 'Her violent ex partner possibly killed her?' Despite all disappearing in such a short space of time, Claire only discovered the cases while researching for a new crime fiction book ten years ago. 'I think partly the news was really dominated by the Troubles', she said. 'Growing up in the 90s, I think a lot of what you might call ordinary murders, non-political murders, we didn't hear about them. 'I think that kind of fed into a perception that they didn't really happen in Ireland, it was a safe place to be as a woman, if you were lucky enough not to get caught in the Troubles. 'I don't think that was true based on what I've learned from my research.' She said that one of the women, 17-year-old Ciara Breen, would cross the Irish border and go to the same discos as she did as a teen, but that she never heard of the case despite it taking place 20 miles from her own home. 'Because it was across the border I don't think I ever heard about it,' said Claire. 'But she went to the same discos as I went to, because it's really easy to cross the border, there was no border at that point. I found that quite shocking that nobody ever said, "This is happening".' Claire explained she felt safe growing up in Northern Ireland, but admitted that there was still 'a lot of oppression and shame' about sex, with harassment such as groping not taken seriously 'at all'. She said: 'It was a dangerous place to live because you could get shot at any moment and we definitely felt that as kids, there were always soldiers around with guns. We just didn't feel anything sexual could happen to us, as such.' She said: 'Eight women went missing in the area around Dublin within about five years, none of them have ever been found. 'Even before that, there were quite a few murders of women in the same area where they did find the bodies, but they haven't always been able to solve the cases, it's possible some of those are connected. 'Because the areas sometimes, are so, so close to each other, we're talking about the same little towns and villages and because they were buried in the mountains, it's probably that's the same thing that happened to some of these women. 'Because they were unsolved it seems implausible there were so many different murderers operating in this area.' She says there were 'a lot of parallels' between the cases, admitting it's difficult to know why police never connected the disappearances. 'You'd think it would be obvious to think, maybe some of these are connected when there are so many disappearances. We're talking about Dublin which is a biggish city, but in the 90s the whole population of Ireland was only three and a half million. It's a small country so those are a lot of disappearances. 'I think one big reason was the Irish police just weren't used to working with this kind of crime, sexually motivated, so just really didn't think to consider that might have happened. 'So it took a very long time to get to that point to think they were connected, even when some of the families were saying they could be.' She said family members had questioned police about links between Annie McCarrick and Eva Brennan, who disappeared nearby each other in the same year, they were told 'don't be ridiculous'. 'They weren't willing to consider it', said Claire, 'They were looking for other reasons like, maybe a woman had gone off with a boyfriend, maybe she killed herself. 'I think once people got to the point of thinking "Oh she probably was abducted", They were looking for reasons like, did she talk to someone in a pub? Did she go off with someone willingly? Did she she get into a car? Why was she walking home?' The author believes that there's still a chance of finding out what happened to the women, but that there are several ways to improve the way in which missing cases are investigated. 'Listening to the families and not making an assumption about what might have happened,' she said. 'Not victim blaming, listening to what people's family and friends have to say about them.' Speaking of the unsolved cases she added: 'I think the only thing that could happen would be either some bodies could be found, and they have to be somewhere so that can always happen, or somebody would come forward and talk.'
BBC News
29-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Fiona Pender: Search ends for missing pregnant woman
Gardaí (Irish police) investigating the disappearance and murder of a pregnant Irish woman have concluded the search operation in the Slieve Bloom mountains in County Laois.A new search had been under way to try to find the remains of Fiona Pender, 25, who went missing in County was last seen at about 06:00 local time, on 23 August 1996 at her flat on Church Street, results of the searches are not being released for operational reasons. On Monday gardaí said they had reclassified their missing person investigation to a murder completed a search of land near Killeigh in County Offaly on Tuesday, the search moved to the Slieve Bloom mountains close to Clonaslee in County Laois on Wednesday. Killeigh and Clonaslee are about a 10-minute drive apart across the county Pender was 5'5" in height, had long blonde hair and was said to be looking forward to the birth of her was wearing white leggings and bright coloured clothing when she went missing. Who was Fiona Pender? Fiona Pender grew up in Tullamore, County Offaly, in a family that has suffered a number of had two brothers, but just over a year before Fiona went missing her brother Mark died in motorcycle the time of her disappearance in August 1996, Fiona was working as a hairdresser and living with her boyfriend in a flat in Church Street in her had spent the previous day "shopping for baby clothes with her mother in Tullamore," according to her missing person profile, external."She was in good form and was looking forward to the birth of her baby," the garda website soon as she went missing, the Pender family began a long campaign seeking the public's help to find Fiona, led by her mother 2000, almost four years after Fiona went missing, her 50-year-old father Sean Pender was found dead in the family widow believes he took his own life, telling a Tullamore reporter: "He couldn't live without his children.", externalThe investigation into Fiona's disappearance continued for 28 years without success, despite a number of searches and digs in different May 2008, a hillwalker came across a makeshift cross which had been recently put up in Monicknew Woods in the Slieve Bloom planks of wood had been hammered together and written on the cross were the words: "Fiona Pender. Buried here, August 22nd, 1996."Gardaí began a search of a two-acre site in the area, assisted by soldiers and cadaver dogs, but there was no sign of Ms Pender's mother Josephine died aged 68 in 2017, external, having never discovered the fate of her only daughter and her unborn Irish Times reported that a "candle of hope" was placed on the altar during her funeral "in memory of all missing people".In tribute to her daughter, a section of walkway along the Grand Canal outside Tullamore is known as the Fiona Pender Way.
