TWENTY ONE years on from the murder of Ennistymon native Emer O’Loughlin in Tubber, An Garda Síochána have issued a renewed appeal for information.
On April 8th 2005, human remains were discovered in a mobile home close to where Emer aged twenty three had lived with her boyfriend Shane Bowe at Ballybornagh, Tubber.
A fire had completely destroyed the mobile home. The human remains discovered inside were the following day identified as being Emer’s following DNA analysis. A post-mortem examination was carried out by then deputy state pathologist Dr Michael Curtis at Galway University Hospital.
Before leaving for work, Mr Bowe who has since passed away advised Emer to call to a neighbour’s caravan to charge her phone, as there was a problem with the power supply to their mobile home. It was in a caravan, owned by John ‘Fozzie’ Griffin, that Emer’s remains were discovered later that afternoon.
Fifteen years later, investigating Gardaí on May 19th 2010 exhumed her remains, which were then removed to University Hospital Galway where forensic anthropology tests were conducted. The tests indicated that Emer had died a violent death, and as a result the investigation was upgraded to that of murder.
This year is the 21st year since Emer’s death and her family are still struggling to come to terms with her loss and are asking for assistance in order to bring them closure.
Gardaí are renewing their appeal for information and are asking the public if they have any piece of information which they feel might be relevant to this investigation to make contact with them.
“If you believe you maybe in a position to bring closure and get justice for them, Gardaí would like to hear from you. Do you have any information that may assist with the investigation? Gardaí may have spoken to you previously and due to the passage of time, you may now feel better placed to assist with the investigation,” a spokesperson told The Clare Echo.
Anyone with information can contact Gort Garda Station on 091 636400, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda station.
In November, a jury at the inquest into Emer’s death returned a verdict of unlawful killing.
Following the inquest, members of the O’Loughlin family appealed for information on the whereabouts of John ‘Fozzie’ Griffin. Gardaí interviewed Mr Griffin at the time of their initial investigation but he said he had stayed with a relative in Galway the night before Emer’s death and knew nothing about the blaze at his mobile home.
Griffin’s last confirmed sighting was in Inis Mór on Oileáin Árann. His clothes were found at the edge of the cliff there, but despite intensive searches he has not been located and has never been reported as a missing person. Gardaí believe Mr Griffin is still alive and they are anxious to trace him. They say he may have been assisted in leaving Inis Mór by another person and that the clothes on the cliff edge was an effort to frustrate the Garda investigation.
Emer’s older sister Pam said the inquest was “the first time the state has acknowledged that Emer O’Loughlin was killed by someone else. Up until now we’ve had suspicious death etc but this is the first time that we have had it confirmed that she was killed by someone else”. She remains hopeful that in time a suspect will face the courts and justice will be served for Emer.
