Lines of Enquiry

Irene White woke up as normal on the 6th of April, 2005. She brought her three kids to school, chatted to the other parents, and returned home where she began washing up dishes. Irene’s mother Maureen lived in a mobile home in the garden and had a routine of calling in to her daughter for a chat and a cup of tea.

On this day, she found her daughter on the floor of her kitchen, surrounded by blood. Her eyes were open and she still had her washing up gloves on.

 In this episode of Lines of Enquiry, John looks back at a case that evaded Dundalk Gardaí for years, until a critical and unexpected break in the case paved the way for detectives to delve further into the case and unmask the people behind a murder that shocked Ireland.

Presented by John Sweetman

Created by Darren Cleary

Episode Written by Siobhan Walsh

Script Edited by Eoin Brennan

Produced by Siobhan Walsh

Executive Produced by Eoin Brennan

Executive Produced by Ruth Fitzsimons

Sound Design and Editing by Neil Kavanagh

Audio Editing Support by Ed Smith

Marketing Support by Laura Bracken and Róisín Reilly

Social Support by Mark Hayes and Robyn Ree

Artwork and Graphics by Eric Rowntree

Brian Kearney arrived to work shortly before 8am on his 49th birthday – February 28th, 2006. Before he left home that morning he poured his 3 year old son Dan a bowl of Coco Pops. Later that morning, Dan’s aunt Niamh arrived at the home. She found the young child alone, crying. His mammy, Siobhan McLaughlin, had never come downstairs that morning.

After an early suspicion of suicide, one piece of evidence was essential in upgrading the case to a murder investigation - A purple vacuum flex found at the scene. In this episode of Lines of Enquiry, John Sweetman revisits the tragic death of 38-year-old Siobhan McLaughlin in Goatstown, South Dublin and the search for her killer.

 Presented by John Sweetman

Created by Darren Cleary

Episode Written by John Sweetman

Script Edited by Eoin Brennan

Produced by Siobhan Walsh & Aoife Plunkett

Executive Produced by Eoin Brennan

Executive Produced by Ruth Fitzsimons

Sound Design and Editing by Neil Kavanagh

Audio Editing Support by Ed Smith

Marketing Support by Laura Bracken and Róisín Reilly

Social Support by Mark Hayes and Robyn Ree

Artwork and Graphics by Eric Rowntree

When Gardaí are called out following a burglary at the offices of a family run business in Ennis, Co. Clare, they aren't overly concerned. Two computers and some small items have been stolen. But when a hitman shows up at the home of the two young brothers who run the business gardaí realise there is much more to the case.

In this episode of Lines of Enquiry, John Sweetman, brings us a case so strange that, at first, even gardaí couldn’t believe it was real.

We bring you through the web of online connections that led a hitman from the United States to County Clare, to sting operation to try to catch the assassin, the involvement of the FBI, and the trail of emails that revealed the full and incredible story.

Presented by John Sweetman

Created by Darren Cleary

Episode Written by Anna Priestland

Produced by Siobhan Walsh

Executive Produced by Eoin Brennan

Sound Design and Editing by Neil Kavanagh

Audio Editing Support by Ed Smith

Marketing Support by Laura Bracken and Róisín Reilly

Social Support by Mark Hayes and Robyn Ree

Artwork and Graphics by Eric Rowntree

In April 2015, 24-year-old Cork woman Karen Buckley went for a night out with friends in Glasgow, where she was studying to become a nurse.

When Karen did not return home or answer her friends’ calls, police began searching for her. Their investigation soon focussed on a man seen speaking with Karen outside a nightclub, moments after she was last seen by her friends.

Over the next few days detectives would conduct an intense, detailed investigation to trace Karen’s movements and identify the man she spoke with. Through the analysis of hundreds of hours of CCTV footage, public appeals, forensics and police interviews, a picture would soon begin to emerge. It would become a case that deeply affected people in both Ireland and Scotland, as the shocking, heart-breaking truth emerged.

In this episode of Lines of Enquiry, John Sweetman recounts that investigation in detail, and the impact of a crime that caused deep pain across two countries.

Presented by John Sweetman

Created by Darren Cleary

Episode Written by Anna Priestland

Script Edited by Eoin Brennan & Siobhan Walsh

Produced by Siobhan Walsh

Executive Produced by Eoin Brennan

Executive Produced by Ruth Fitzsimons

Sound Design and Editing by Neil Kavanagh

Audio Editing Support by Ed Smith

Marketing Support by Laura Bracken and Róisín Reilly

Social Support by Mark Hayes and Robyn Ree

Artwork and Graphics by Eric Rowntree

In this episode of Lines of Enquiry: Case Notes, John is joined by Darren Cleary, creator of Lines of Enquiry and Head of Digital Audio at Bauer Media Audio Ireland.

Together, they look back on the previous season, reflecting on cases including Elaine O’Hara, Patricia O’Connor, Barbara Walsh, Ciara Breen and Philip Cairns. They also discuss the importance of revisiting unresolved cases, and the work that goes into making the podcast.

John and Darren also look ahead to the next season, including revealing the first episode of season 3, along with announcing a new longer-form documentary series focusing on a Dublin murder case from the 1970s.

In this episode of Lines of Enquiry: Case Notes, John is joined by Darren Cleary, creator of Lines of Enquiry and Head of Digital Audio at Bauer Media Audio Ireland.

Darren gives an update on the case of Kelly Lynch following the completion of a Garda peer review into the original investigation. He discusses what Kelly’s family say they were told, the recommendations now being worked through and the file being prepared for the coroner.

John and Darren also discuss the differing medical opinions around Kelly’s death, before moving into a wider conversation about what happens at a crime scene and why scene preservation, evidence gathering and chain of custody matter.

In this episode of Lines of Enquiry: Case Notes, John is joined by Ray Kane, his former colleague in the Garda Technical Bureau and Fingerprint Department.

Ray spent more than 30 years in policing, much of it in the Garda Technical Bureau. Together, Ray and John reflect on their experience in the Fingerprint Department, the unpredictable nature of crime scene work, and the responsibility of preserving and interpreting evidence in serious investigations to give victims of crime a voice.

Ray also speaks about the emotional impact of working around death and serious crime, and how one small piece of evidence can have a significant impact when solving a case.

Now a Consultant Forensic Expert, Ray also discusses his current role as Evidence Manager with the Office of the Director of Authorised Intervention in Tuam, where forensic standards are being applied as part of the effort to recover and identify the remains of children who died at the former institution.

In this episode of Lines of Enquiry: Case Notes, John is joined by Martin Egan, retired Detective Sergeant with An Garda Síochána.

Martin spent 30 years in the force and was also trained as a Garda crisis negotiator. He reflects on the communication, patience and judgement required in critical incidents, where the aim is to bring people to safety while working as part of a wider Garda response.

Martin also speaks about the case involving Jasmine McMonagle in Co. Donegal in 2019, where he was part of the response team that arrived at the house and negotiated with her killer. He discusses the difficult decisions made that morning, the importance of protecting the children in the house, and how gardaí deal with the most challenging parts of the job.

As season 3 comes to an end, host of Lines of Enquiry, John Sweetman reveals what to expect over the next few weeks from Case Notes.

He shares the date for the return of the narrative episodes, with many new stories already being worked on by the Lines of Enquiry team.

John also notes some recent feedback from listeners. If you would like to get in touch, follow the Instagram page @linesofenquirypodcast or email us [email protected]

In this episode of Lines of Enquiry: Case Notes, John continues his conversation with Frank Greaney, Courts Correspondent and award-winning journalist and broadcaster.

Frank explains the work that goes into complex criminal investigations, the role of An Garda Síochána, and the way evidence is presented and tested in court. He also reflects on public reactions to sentencing and why court outcomes can sometimes shock people.

The episode also brings us inside Frank’s day-to-day work as a courts correspondent, from following trials and filing reports to explaining complex proceedings clearly and responsibly. Throughout, he returns to the importance of experience and humanity when reporting on cases that continue to affect victims, families and communities long after a trial has ended.