Revisiting the enduring mystery of the murder of Una Lynskey

In July 1972, a group of 14 residents from the Co Meath village of Ratoath sent a handwritten letter to Minister for Justice Des O’Malley. The recent murder of a young woman and a subsequent revenge killing had torn their community apart, they explained, and brutal behaviour from An Garda Síochána was partly to blame.

A new book tells the story of the 1971 murder, revenge killing, and the garda ‘Heavy Gang’ leading the botched investigation Clockwise from left: Una Lynskey, Martin Conmey and Dick Donnelly, and two pictures of Marty Kerrigan with Conmey in the early 1970s In July 1972, a group of 14 residents from the Co Meath village of Ratoath sent a handwritten letter to Minister for Justice Des O’Malley. The recent murder of a young woman and a subsequent revenge killing had torn their community apart, they explained, and brutal behaviour from An Garda Síochána was partly to blame. “Unfortunately, it would take a book to go into all the details,” their missive concluded, “but.

.. you will understand why we plead with you to intervene.

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