Ireland Crimes and Mysteries

<p>On the morning of 29th December 1958, a priest was called to the Central Hotel in Kilmallock, County Limerick. He had been sent for by a fifteen year old boy. His mother lay in the kitchen, gravely injured.</p><p>Joan O’Rourke was 40 years old. She was a businesswoman, a mother of three, and a well known figure in her local community. She ran one of the busiest hotels in the town.</p><p>But what was happening inside the Central Hotel was not hidden. Staff, neighbours, and people in the town had seen and heard enough over the years to know that life behind those doors was far from stable.</p><p>In this episode, I take you through the final days and final hours of Joan’s life, the evidence given by dozens of witnesses, and the events of that night that would leave three children without a mother.</p><p>This is a case that shocked Ireland at the time. It is also a case that raises difficult questions about what was seen, what was known, and what was not acted on.</p><p>This episode contains discussion of domestic violence.</p><p><strong> Sign up for your €1 a month Shopify Trial at </strong><a href="http://Shopify.ie"><strong>Shopify.ie</strong></a></p><p><strong>If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence:</strong></p><ul><li><p><strong>Ireland:</strong> Women's Aid 1800 341 900</p></li><li><p><strong>Northern Ireland:</strong> Domestic &amp; Sexual Abuse Helpline 0808 802 3347</p></li><li><p><strong>Men's Support:</strong> AMEN 046 902 3718 (ROI) / 028 9024 1929 (NI)</p><p><strong>Head over to the Ireland Crimes and Mysteries website for more !</strong></p><p><a href="http://www.irelandcrimesandmysteries.ie"><strong>For more information on Ireland Crimes and Mysteries Live Show follow the link below</strong> 👇🏻</a></p></li><li><p><a href="https://www.irelandcrimesandmysteries.ie/blog/ireland-crimes-and-mysteries-live-/">https://www.irelandcrimesandmysteries.ie/blog/ireland-crimes-and-mysteries-live-/</a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Join me over on Patreon for extra perks&nbsp;</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.patreon.com/IrelandCrimesandMysteries">https://www.patreon.com/IrelandCrimesandMysteries</a></p><p>Early access to episodes, monthly livestreams where we will be discussing the cases I've covered and much more as we build our own community.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Follow on Instagram:</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/irelandcrimesandmysteries/">https://www.instagram.com/irelandcrimesandmysteries/</a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Follow on TikTok:</strong></p><p>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@irelandcrimesandmysteries">https://www.tiktok.com/@irelandcrimesandmysteries</a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Follow on Facebook:</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.facebook.com/irelandcrimesandmysteries/">https://www.facebook.com/irelandcrimesandmysteries/</a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Follow on Threads:</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.threads.net/@irelandcrimesandmysteries">https://www.threads.net/@irelandcrimesandmysteries</a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Follow on X:</strong></p><p><a href="https://twitter.com/IrelandCrimes">https://twitter.com/IrelandCrimes</a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Visit my shop for exclusive Ireland Crimes and Mysteries merchandise</strong></p><p><a href="https://ireland-crimes-and-mysterie-shop.fourthwall.com/en-eur/">https://ireland-crimes-and-mysterie-shop.fourthwall.com/en-eur/</a></p></li></ul>

<p>This week Nules looks at the case of Liam Farrell. An 87-year-old man, a Saturday night, and a walk home that should have taken ten minutes. It is about a family who refused to be told there was nothing to investigate. And it is about an active Garda investigation that, as of April 2026, is hopefully closer to the truth than it has ever been. Someone knows what happened to Liam Farrell. Maybe you do. If you have any information, contact the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111. Let's tell Liam's story.</p><p>Whether you're launching your first business or scaling an established brand, Shopify gives you everything you need in one place. Build a beautiful online store with ready-to-go templates, manage inventory and payments, and reach customers with powerful marketing tools. Shopify is the commerce platform trusted by millions of businesses worldwide.</p><p><a href="http://shopify.ie">Sign up for your €1-per-month trial at shopify.ie</a></p><p><strong>Survey for Ireland Crimes and Mysteries Live Show 👇🏻</strong></p><p><a href="https://bauermediaireland.jotform.com/form/ireland-crimes-and-mysteries-survey">https://bauermediaireland.jotform.com/form/ireland-crimes-and-mysteries-survey</a></p><ul><li><p><a href="http://www.irelandcrimesandmysteries.ie"><strong>For more information on Ireland Crimes and Mysteries Live Show follow the link below</strong> 👇🏻</a></p></li><li><p><a href="https://www.irelandcrimesandmysteries.ie/blog/ireland-crimes-and-mysteries-live-/">https://www.irelandcrimesandmysteries.ie/blog/ireland-crimes-and-mysteries-live-/</a></p></li></ul><p> <a href="http://www.irelandcrimesandmysteries.ie">www.irelandcrimesandmysteries.ie</a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p> <strong>Join me over on Patreon for extra perks&nbsp;</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.patreon.com/IrelandCrimesandMysteries"> https://www.patreon.com/IrelandCrimesandMysteries</a></p><ul><li><p>Early access to episodes, monthly livestreams where we will be discussing the cases I've covered and much more as we build our own community.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Follow on Instagram:</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/irelandcrimesandmysteries/">https://www.instagram.com/irelandcrimesandmysteries/</a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Follow on TikTok:</strong></p><p>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@irelandcrimesandmysteries">https://www.tiktok.com/@irelandcrimesandmysteries</a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Follow on Facebook:</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.facebook.com/irelandcrimesandmysteries/">https://www.facebook.com/irelandcrimesandmysteries/</a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Follow on Threads:</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.threads.net/@irelandcrimesandmysteries">https://www.threads.net/@irelandcrimesandmysteries</a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Follow on X:</strong></p><p><a href="https://twitter.com/IrelandCrimes">https://twitter.com/IrelandCrimes</a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Visit my shop for exclusive Ireland Crimes and Mysteries merchandise</strong></p><p><a href="https://ireland-crimes-and-mysterie-shop.fourthwall.com/en-eur/">https://ireland-crimes-and-mysterie-shop.fourthwall.com/en-eur/</a></p></li></ul><p></p><p></p>

<p>Some missing persons become household names. Their faces are everywhere, their cases debated on every news channel, their families given national platforms to plead for answers.</p><p>Others simply vanish from public consciousness.</p><p>In this episode, I examine four Irish missing persons cases that have received minimal media coverage, not because they didn't matter, but because of factors that had nothing to do with the value of a human life.</p><p>What determines which disappearances we remember and which we forget? Geography, class, nationality, timing. The systems that decide whose story gets told.</p><p>Four people who deserved the same attention as any other missing person. Four families still searching for answers, years later, in near silence.</p><p><strong>CONTACT NUMBERS:</strong></p><p><strong>Tony Brosnan (Limerick):</strong></p><ul><li><p>Bruff Garda Station: 061-382940</p></li></ul><p><strong>Bridget Madigan (Clonmel):</strong></p><ul><li><p>Clonmel Garda Station: 052-6177640</p></li><li><p>Garda Confidential Line: 1800-666-111</p></li></ul><p><strong>Giedre Raguckaite (Dundalk/Meath):</strong></p><ul><li><p>Dundalk Garda Station: 042-9388400</p></li><li><p>Garda Confidential Line: 1800-666-111</p></li><li><p>(Lithuanian speakers available)</p></li></ul><p><strong>Cian Langelaan (Donegal):</strong></p><ul><li><p>Milford Garda Station: 074-9153060</p></li><li><p>Garda Confidential Line: 1800-666-111</p></li><li><p>Missing Persons Helpline: 1800-911-999</p></li></ul><p><strong>General:</strong></p><ul><li><p>Garda Confidential Line: 1800-666-111</p></li><li><p>Missing Persons Helpline: 1800-911-999</p></li></ul><p>Whether you're launching your first business or scaling an established brand, Shopify gives you everything you need in one place. Build a beautiful online store with ready-to-go templates, manage inventory and payments, and reach customers with powerful marketing tools. Shopify is the commerce platform trusted by millions of businesses worldwide.</p><p><a href="http://shopify.ie">Sign up for your €1-per-month trial at shopify.ie</a></p><p> <a href="http://www.irelandcrimesandmysteries.ie">www.irelandcrimesandmysteries.ie</a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><ul><li><p><strong>Join me over on Patreon for extra perks&nbsp;</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.patreon.com/IrelandCrimesandMysteries">https://www.patreon.com/IrelandCrimesandMysteries</a></p><p>Early access to episodes, monthly livestreams where we will be discussing the cases I've covered and much more as we build our own community.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Follow on Instagram:</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/irelandcrimesandmysteries/">https://www.instagram.com/irelandcrimesandmysteries/</a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Follow on TikTok:</strong></p><p>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@irelandcrimesandmysteries">https://www.tiktok.com/@irelandcrimesandmysteries</a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Follow on Facebook:</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.facebook.com/irelandcrimesandmysteries/">https://www.facebook.com/irelandcrimesandmysteries/</a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Follow on Threads:</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.threads.net/@irelandcrimesandmysteries">https://www.threads.net/@irelandcrimesandmysteries</a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Follow on X:</strong></p><p><a href="https://twitter.com/IrelandCrimes">https://twitter.com/IrelandCrimes</a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Visit my shop for exclusive Ireland Crimes and Mysteries merchandise</strong></p><p><a href="https://ireland-crimes-and-mysterie-shop.fourthwall.com/en-eur/">https://ireland-crimes-and-mysterie-shop.fourthwall.com/en-eur/</a></p></li></ul><p></p><p></p>

<p>In the early hours of November 13th, 2007, a neighbour in Omagh, County Tyrone, woke to screaming. Flames were tearing through the house next door. He grabbed a ladder and climbed toward an upstairs window, desperate to help. Inside were seven people. Five of them were children.</p><p>By the time firefighters brought the blaze under control, all seven were dead.</p><p>This is the story of what happened that night—and the years of warning signs that came before it. It's about a system designed to protect children, and what happens when that system fails.</p><p><strong>Correction: Early newspaper reports stated Arthur McElhill was 39 at the time of his death, which I repeated in this episode. The 2009 inquest confirmed he was actually 36 (born October 1971). This means he was 22, not 25, when he met 15-year-old Lorraine in 1993. The age gap was correctly stated as 7 years.</strong></p><p><strong>This episode contains discussion of child death, domestic violence, sexual assault, and house fire.</strong></p><p><strong>If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence:</strong></p><ul><li><p><strong>Ireland:</strong> Women's Aid 1800 341 900</p></li><li><p><strong>Northern Ireland:</strong> Domestic &amp; Sexual Abuse Helpline 0808 802 3347</p></li><li><p><strong>Men's Support:</strong> AMEN 046 902 3718 (ROI) / 028 9024 1929 (NI)</p><p><strong>Head over to the Ireland Crimes and Mysteries website for more !</strong></p><p><a href="http://www.irelandcrimesandmysteries.ie">www.irelandcrimesandmysteries.ie</a></p><p>&nbsp;<strong> Sign up for your €1 a month Shopify Trial at </strong><a href="http://Shopify.ie"><strong>Shopify.ie</strong></a></p><p><strong>Join me over on Patreon for extra perks&nbsp;</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.patreon.com/IrelandCrimesandMysteries">https://www.patreon.com/IrelandCrimesandMysteries</a></p><p>Early access to episodes, monthly livestreams where we will be discussing the cases I've covered and much more as we build our own community.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Follow on Instagram:</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/irelandcrimesandmysteries/">https://www.instagram.com/irelandcrimesandmysteries/</a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Follow on TikTok:</strong></p><p>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@irelandcrimesandmysteries">https://www.tiktok.com/@irelandcrimesandmysteries</a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Follow on Facebook:</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.facebook.com/irelandcrimesandmysteries/">https://www.facebook.com/irelandcrimesandmysteries/</a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Follow on Threads:</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.threads.net/@irelandcrimesandmysteries">https://www.threads.net/@irelandcrimesandmysteries</a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Follow on X:</strong></p><p><a href="https://twitter.com/IrelandCrimes">https://twitter.com/IrelandCrimes</a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Visit my shop for exclusive Ireland Crimes and Mysteries merchandise</strong></p><p><a href="https://ireland-crimes-and-mysterie-shop.fourthwall.com/en-eur/">https://ireland-crimes-and-mysterie-shop.fourthwall.com/en-eur/</a></p></li></ul>

<p>On the 29th of January 2005, Shaun Duffy left his mother's house in Meenacross, Co. Donegal. He had 500 yards to go. He made it home. But sometime in the early hours of that January morning, someone was waiting for him. 21 years on, nobody has ever been charged with his murder and in a small, tight-knit community in west Donegal, the silence around what happened that night has never broken. This week on Ireland Crimes and Mysteries, Nules is looking at the case of Shaun Duffy.</p><p><strong>If you have any information about the murder of Shaun Duffy, please contact</strong> </p><p>Milford Garda Station on 074 915 3060 or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111.</p><p>All information will be treated with strict confidentiality.</p><p><strong>Head over to the Ireland Crimes and Mysteries website for more !</strong></p><p><a href="http://www.irelandcrimesandmysteries.ie">www.irelandcrimesandmysteries.ie</a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Join me over on Patreon for extra perks&nbsp;</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.patreon.com/IrelandCrimesandMysteries">https://www.patreon.com/IrelandCrimesandMysteries</a></p><p>Early access to episodes, monthly livestreams where we will be discussing the cases I've covered and much more as we build our own community.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Follow on Instagram:</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/irelandcrimesandmysteries/">https://www.instagram.com/irelandcrimesandmysteries/</a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Follow on TikTok:</strong></p><p>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@irelandcrimesandmysteries">https://www.tiktok.com/@irelandcrimesandmysteries</a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Follow on Facebook:</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.facebook.com/irelandcrimesandmysteries/">https://www.facebook.com/irelandcrimesandmysteries/</a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Follow on Threads:</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.threads.net/@irelandcrimesandmysteries">https://www.threads.net/@irelandcrimesandmysteries</a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Follow on X:</strong></p><p><a href="https://twitter.com/IrelandCrimes">https://twitter.com/IrelandCrimes</a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Visit my shop for exclusive Ireland Crimes and Mysteries merchandise</strong></p><p><a href="https://ireland-crimes-and-mysterie-shop.fourthwall.com/en-eur/">https://ireland-crimes-and-mysterie-shop.fourthwall.com/en-eur/</a></p>