Gardaí have renewed an appeal for information into the murder of a woman and a man in the 1970s.
The Garda Commissioner has directed that the serious crime review team carry out a “full review” of the investigation into the murders of Una Lynskey and Martin Kerrigan in 1971.
Miss Lynskey, 19, went missing in October 1971 after she was last seen walking towards her home at Porterstown Lane in Ratoath, Co Meath.
She was reported missing at Dunshaughlin garda station by her boyfriend.
Searches were conducted in the following days in the Porterstown Lane area by gardaí supported by the garda dog unit, garda sub aqua unit, civil defence, army and local volunteers.
Gardaí also completed house-to-house inquiries and interviewed potential witnesses.
A number of witnesses reported seeing a vehicle described as a Ford Zodiac or Zephyr on Porterstown Lane around the time Miss Lynskey went missing.
Varying descriptions were provided of this vehicle and its driver.
On October 25th 1971, three men – Martin Kerrigan, Dick Donnelly and Martin Conmey – were interviewed at Trim Garda station.
All three were released without charge at that time.
In December 1971, Miss Lynskey’s remains were found at Glendoo, close to Glencullen in the Dublin Mountains.
Later that month, 20-year-old Martin Kerrigan was abducted in Ratoath and forcibly put into a car.
In the early hours of December 20th 1971, Mr Kerrigan’s body was found at Tibradden, Rathfarnham, Dublin, close to where Miss Lynskey’s body was recovered.
John Lynskey, James Lynskey and John Gaughan were subsequently charged with murder and convicted of the manslaughter of Martin Kerrigan.
Each were sentenced to three years’ imprisonment.
On March 5th 1972, Martin Conmey and Dick Donnelly were charged with the murder of Miss Lynskey. Both were convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to three years’ imprisonment.
Mr Donnelly appealed this conviction and was found not guilty. Mr Conmey served a sentence of three years’ imprisonment.
In November 2010, Mr Conmey’s conviction for manslaughter was successfully appealed.
In 2014, the Court of Appeal later ruled Mr Conmey’s conviction for manslaughter as a miscarriage of justice, and he has since received a state apology.
The Garda investigation into the murder of Miss Lynskey remains open and the future course of the investigation will be determined by the findings of the Serious Crime Review.
On Thursday, 52 years after the murder of Miss Lynskey, a garda spokesperson from the serious crime review team said the murders were still felt in the community.
“The murder of Una Lynskey on the 12th October 1971 and the subsequent murder of Martin Kerrigan on the 19th December 1971 has devastated the Lynskey, Kerrigan, Donnelly and Conmey families,” they said.
“Both murders still have an impact on the community in Ratoath.”
Gardai are appealing for anyone with information in relation to the murders of Miss Lynskey and Mr Kerrigan to come forward.
