This article includes information revealed in the first four episodes of Inside the Crime Season 3.

After a gruelling 13-day trial during the summer of 1972, the Central Criminal Court found two men guilty of killing 19-year-old Una Lynskey.

The verdict came just over nine months after the 19-year-old disappeared from Porterstown Lane in County Meath – and seven after her body was found covered by gorse bushes and black felt in the Dublin mountains.

Gardaí settled on their suspects quickly after Una disappeared, picking up Marty Kerrigan, Martin Conmey and Dick Donnelly two weeks into their investigation and taking them to Trim Garda Station for questioning.

The three young men all lived near Una and denied any involvement in her disappearance.

They accused Gardaí of beating false confessions out of them during a “terrifying ordeal” at the station – and when they were released, they found that the local community had been told that they were guilty.

The rumours had fatal consequences, with Marty Kerrigan - the youngest and smallest of three - abducted and beaten in a revenge attack shortly after Una’s body was discovered.

He was found dead not far from where Una’s body was discovered.

A composite image of Martin Conmey, Dick Donnelly and Marty Kerrigan at a wedding shortly before Marty’s death.

When the remaining two boys, Martin Conmey and Dick Donnelly, were charged with Una’s murder in March 1972, they were certain the truth would come out in court and they would be found innocent.

When their case opened at the Four Courts in Dublin, they soon learned that things would not be so straightforward.

In the early hours of the morning on Saturday, July 15th, they were called back into the courtroom to hear the jury’s verdict – not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter.

The Four Courts in Dublin City Centre, 17-11-2021. Image: Sam Boal/RollingNews

“Jesus Christ, I nearly fell through the seat,” Martin told Frank Greaney on Inside the Crime.

“Guilty of manslaughter, you know? When the verdict came out, everything just went blank.

“I couldn't believe what was happening. I looked over at my solicitor and you know, you're kind of living on the hope that God wouldn't allow someone to be convicted of something they didn’t do.

“My poor mother used to run across the road praying in the church across the road that justice will be done.

“You know, you'd be hoping your legal team will fight your corner – it didn't work out.”

Sentence

A few days later, Judge Séamus Henchy jailed both men for three years – a reduced sentence given the character witnesses that spoke on their behalf.

“I remember looking at my solicitor and saying, ‘I didn’t do anything wrong,’” said Martin.

“I was crying and all she was saying to me was, sure it's only three years, you should be put in two years and three months.

“I looked at her and said ‘Oh Christ’ … I wasn't really able to talk then, but that was nearly worse, to say that to me.”

'I kept blaming myself'

When the cell door was locked behind him that first night, Martin said he just remembers, “going into the cell and just crying”.

“Then there was this thing after certain stages and the whole thing, I would say, ‘Well, look, Martin, it's your own fault – you’re just a weak person admitting to something you didn't do.

“I kept blaming myself for everything – which was compounding the whole bloody thing, you know.”

Martin said he spent the following months praying and hoping that the person who did kill Una would come forward and admit it.

“I lived in hope in there that something would crop up,” he said.

Inside the Crime

Season 3 of Inside The Crime is a story of divided loyalties, misplaced vengeance and an act of cruel injustice.

At the heart of it all, however, is the unsolved murder of a 19-year-old girl.

This is the story of the Una Lynskey Murder.

Throughout the season, you can go Deeper Inside the Crime with interactive maps, family trees and in-depth articles examining the key points from the story.

Listen and subscribe to Inside the Crime on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify now.

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