‘If you can help with unsolved crime, tell us,’ says top garda

TWO people whom gardaí believe would never have spoken to them in the past, came forward with credible information after a targeted appeal that led to the major search in 2015 for 18-year-old Ciara Breen in Dundalk, Co. Louth, one of the country’s top detectives has said.

Speaking ahead of his retirement after 33 years of service, Detective Inspector Patrick Marry said that a number of people approached gardaí with information about the missing teenager following successful targeted appeals.

He said these included ‘two people in particular, who in the past would not have approached or communicated with An Garda Síochána’.

‘In making the appeal, I reminded people that not only will you be helping Ciara’s mother, Bernadette, you will be helping yourselves, helping your community and helping everything that is good,’ Det. Insp. Marry said.

As a result of the new information, gardaí spent weeks searching bogland where it is believed Ciara’s remains were, but unfortunately were unable to locate her.

The chief suspect in her 1997 disappearance died in Garda custody last year. Liam Mullen had been arrested twice in relation to the suspected murder before he died in Dundalk Garda Station. Det. Insp. Marry led the investigations into the murders of Rachel O’Reilly, Niall Dorr and Irene White, as well as several others, including the investigation into the murder of his colleague, Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe.

He reiterated the importance of people coming forward to gardaí with information, even if much time had passed since the incident.

‘In my experience, it is amazing the relief people feel when they reveal to you what they know,’ he said. ‘For many people, it is the fear of what happens if they do tell the gardaí, that prevents them making contact.’ Det. Insp. Marry said gardaí understood that sometimes there were very understandable reasons why someone had not told all they know about a crime committed some years ago.

‘In these circumstances, when people tell you why they did not come forward earlier, they know that we understand. I would say to anyone reading this that if they have information that could help solve a crime... that they should talk in confidence to the senior investigating officer,’ Det. Insp. Marry said.