Connacht Tribune
Potential new leads in 20-year-old murder investigation
Investigating Gardaí are currently following up on a number of calls they received in relation to the brutal murder of Galway taxi driver Eileen Costello O’Shaughnessy twenty years ago.
Gardaí in Mill Street in Galway have confirmed to the Connacht Tribune that “several calls” were received following a reconstruction of the events surrounding her death back in 1997 that were part of a recent Crimecall programme on RTE.
And now Martin Costello has said that he doesn’t want to go to his grave without his sister’s killer being found.
In the aftermath of the reconstruction of the crime to coincide with the 20th anniversary of her brutal murder, her brother Martin Costello in Corofin has made an impassioned plea for anyone with information to come forward.
He said that he didn’t want to go to the grave not knowing who murdered Eileen and why. “Twenty years on and we are no closer to finding out who killed her,” Martin told The Connacht Tribune.
But it has now emerged that, on foot of the RTE programme, a number of calls were made to the Gardaí and a spokesman in Mill Street told the Connacht Tribune that each of these were being followed up.
“I can confirm that several calls were made over the past week and each one is being followed up. At the moment we cannot say what the nature of the calls were but we are hoping that they may progress this ongoing investigation.
“Every call that has been received is now being thoroughly followed up on and we would like to thank those who have made the effort to make contact. It is obvious that the reconstruction has jogged a few memories and hopefully it may help our inquiries,” the Garda spokesman added.
Her former colleagues on the taxi rank in Galway city have also made countless pleas for information to come forward in the hope of making a vital breakthrough two decades later
47- year-old Eileen’s body was found in a laneway off the N17 at Tinker’s Lane on November 30, 1997.
The mother of two collected her last fare at around 8pm that evening to Claregalway and two hours later she was dead. A local farmer found her body the following morning.
Eileen was originally from Corofin and her brutal murder shocked the whole community. Several hundred people were interviewed in the aftermath of her death but there were no arrests.
Her brother Martin Costello, who owns a bus hire firm in Corofin, said that the family were not contacted in relation to the latest TV reconstruction for RTE’s Crimecall but he added that a member of the Gardai in Galway keeps contact with him on an occasional basis.
“At this stage it is difficult to believe that anyone will be caught for the murder but the fact that people have now been in touch gives us new hope. Up to this guards seem to have drawn a complete blank but hopefully something might come of the latest developments,” Martin Costello added.
The murder had a terrible effect on Eileen’s mother who died eleven years after the tragedy not knowing who was responsible for her daughter’s death.
Since the murder of Eileen Costello O’Shaughnessy, Gardaí and her taxi colleagues have made appeals for information that would lead to the identity of her killer.
Back in 1997 there were sightings of the taxi being stopped on the hard shoulder three miles outside the city on the N17 and it was then spotted turning right down Tinker’s Lane at Knockdoemore where the body was discovered by a local farmer the following day.
A taxi being driving erratically towards Galway city was subsequently witnessed by other motorists that evening. Eileen’s blood-stained taxi was abandoned at the old Lydon House bakery on the Tuam Road.
A number of people, who were seen in the vicinity of where the body was dumped, were asked to come forward but they failed to do so despite repeated appeals.
Even a woman who approached another taxi driver in Eyre Square some weeks after the murder saying that she had vital information did not make contact with the Gardai subsequently.
Eileen was savagely beaten to death and it is obvious that the perpetrator, who she apparently picked up close to Galway city, drove her blood-stained taxi back in the N17 towards town and then abandoned the vehicle.
It was a murder that shocked several communities in County Galway at the time and despite exhaustive inquiries on the part of the Gardai in Galway, no one was ever arrested in connection with the murder.
There have been TV, radio and newspaper appeals for information about the murder of the 47 years old mother of two and despite a number of lines of inquiry, investigating officers are no closer to finding her murderer.
The Gardaí insist that the investigation is ongoing and they and have four key areas which they are focusing on.
- At around 8.30pm on November 30, 1997 on the N17, close to Tinkers Lane, a woman with blonde hair was seen walking in the direction of Galway against oncoming traffic. She was at the hard shoulder and appeared in a distracted state. This woman has never been identified.
- Secondly, at 8.45pm a motorist observed Eileen’s taxi, a silver Toyota Carina registration number 97 G 6663, driving erratically on the N17 towards Galway. As the cars approached Leaders Shop the motorist overtook the taxi and saw a man with a beard driving it. The taxi turned left into Lydon House Bakery. This man has never been identified.
- At around 9pm, a man was seen jumping down from a wall close to Lydon House Bakery and walking in the direction of Galway. He was wearing a green jacket and carrying a small canvas bag. This man has never been identified.
- Finally, a small red car was seen at 2am at Tinkers Lane where Eileen’s body was found. The car had reversed up the laneway and had the parking lights on. The occupants of this car have never been identified.
Anyone with any information is asked to contact Galway Garda Station at 091-538000
Significant state investment is required to address ‘shocking’ inequalities that leave cancer patients in the West at greater risk of succumbing to the disease.
A meeting of Regional Health Forum West heard that survival rates for breast, lung and colorectal cancers than the national average, and with the most deprived quintile of the population, the West’s residents faced poorer outcomes from a cancer diagnosis.
For breast cancer patients, the five-year survival rate was 80% in the West versus 85% nationally; for lung cancer patients it was 16.7% in the west against a 19.5% national survival rate; and in the West’s colorectal cancer patients, there was a 62.6% survival rate where the national average was 63.1%.
These startling statistics were provided in answer to a question from Ballinasloe-based Cllr Evelyn Parsons (Ind) who said it was yet another reminder that cancer treatment infrastructure in the West was in dire need of improvement.
“The situation is pretty stark. In the Western Regional Health Forum area, we have the highest incidence of deprivation and the highest health inequalities because of that – we have the highest incidences of cancer nationally because of that,” said Cllr Parsons, who is also a general practitioner.
In details provided by CEO of Saolta Health Care Group, which operates Galway’s hospitals, it was stated that a number of factors were impacting on patient outcomes.
Get the full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now, or you can download the digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie. You can also download our Connacht Tribune App from Apple’s App Store or get the Android Version from Google Play.
Galway 3-18
Cork 1-10
NEW setting; new opposition; new challenge. It made no difference to the Galway minor hurlers as they chalked up a remarkable sixth consecutive double digits championship victory at Semple Stadium on Saturday.
The final scoreline in Thurles may have been a little harsh on Cork, but there was no doubting Galway’s overall superiority in setting up only a second-ever All-Ireland showdown against Clare at the same venue on Sunday week.
Having claimed an historic Leinster title the previous weekend, Galway took a while to get going against the Rebels and also endured their first period in a match in which they were heavily outscored, but still the boys in maroon roll on.
Beating a decent Cork outfit by 14 points sums up how formidable Galway are. No team has managed to lay a glove on them so far, and though Clare might ask them questions other challengers haven’t, they are going to have to find significant improvement on their semi-final win over 14-man Kilkenny to pull off a final upset.
Galway just aren’t winning their matches; they are overpowering the teams which have stood in their way. Their level of consistency is admirable for young players starting off on the inter-county journey, while the team’s temperament appears to be bombproof, no matter what is thrown at them.
Having romped through Leinster, Galway should have been a bit rattled by being only level (0-4 each) after 20 minutes and being a little fortunate not to have been behind; or when Cork stormed out of the blocks at the start of the second half by hitting 1-4 to just a solitary point in reply, but there was never any trace of panic in their ranks.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App
Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper.
Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite HERE.
Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
GARDAÍ and the IFA have issued a joint appeal to all road users to take extra care as the silage season gets under way across the country.
Silage harvesting started in many parts of Galway last week – and over the coming month, the sight of tractors and trailers on rural roads will be getting far more frequent.
Inspector Conor Madden, who is in charge of Galway Roads Policing, told the Farming Tribune that a bit of extra care and common-sense from all road users would go a long way towards preventing serious collisions on roads this summer.
“One thing I would ask farmers and contractors to consider is to try and get more experienced drivers working for them.
“Tractors have got faster and bigger – and they are also towing heavy loads of silage – so care and experience are a great help in terms of accident prevention,” Inspector Madden told the Farming Tribune.
He said that tractor drivers should always be aware of traffic building up behind them and to pull in and let these vehicles pass, where it was safe to do so.
“By the same token, other road users should always exercise extra care; drive that bit slower; and ‘pull in’ that bit more, when meeting tractors and heavy machinery.
“We all want to see everyone enjoying a safe summer on our roads – that extra bit of care, and consideration for other roads users can make a huge difference,” said Conor Madden.
He also advised motorists and tractor drivers to be acutely aware of pedestrians and cyclists on the roads during the summer season when more people would be out walking and cycling on the roads.
The IFA has also joined in on the road safety appeal with Galway IFA Farm Family and Social Affairs Chair Teresa Roche asking all road users to exercise that extra bit of care and caution.
“We are renewing our annual appeal for motorists to be on the look out for tractors, trailers and other agricultural machinery exiting from fields and farmyards,” she said.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App
Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper.
Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite HERE.
Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Families queue up for school’s offer of free house
West has lower cancer survival rates than rest
Galway minors continue to lay waste to all opponents
Gardaí and IFA issue a joint appeal on summer road safety
Marathon Man plans to call a halt – but not before he hits 160 races
