The unsolved murder of a Portlaoise woman is set to be the feature in the latest installment of a TG4 documentary.
Marú Inár Measc is a three-part true crime documentary series by Midas Productions for TG4, which shines a light on the effect that fatal crimes have on society, local communities and on the victim’s families as they are left without answers.
And the next episode, airing on Wednesday February 26, is to examine the case of Marie Kilmartin.
Ms Kilmartin disappeared from her home in Portlaoise on December 16, 1993.
Marie had returned from a Christmas party at the local nursing home where she volunteered.
After receiving a mysterious phone call, Marie left her home and was not seen until six months later, when her body was discovered by a local man out walking on a bog site near Mountmellick.
A murder investigation began, one which continues to this day over 30 years later.
This documentary follows Marie’s daughter Áine, who had been adopted, as she searches for answers as to who murdered her birth murder.
Áine was 20 years old when she discovered that Marie was her birth mother and since then she has made it her mission to uncover the truth.
Featuring archive footage from the time and interviews with local people, the programme shows how Marie’s murder left an everlasting and traumatic mark on not only her loved ones but the wider community of Portlaoise.
This programme explores how Marie’s life and murder reflect the treatment of women in Ireland in the 1970s and ‘80s, as we learn about the institutionalisation of unwed mothers and how society viewed them.
Marie’s disappearance and murder happened during a period of time when a number of women were going missing and some later found to have been murdered, the majority of these cases remain unsolved, these murders are better known as “The Vanishing Triangle” cases.
This documentary features the first-hand account of former Detective Chief Superintendent John O’Brien, who recalls visiting the scene of the discovery of Marie’s body and who decades later is still haunted by this case.
He only hopes that Marie’s loved ones will get justice and that this case can finally be put to rest.
The documentary also features Austin Stack (Marie’s Friend), Tommy Mulligan (Portlaoise Councillor) Eimear Ní Bhraonáin (Journalist), Kerron Ó Luain (Historian) and Cecilia Ní Choileáin (Criminal Law Barrister).
Midas Productions and TG4 have produced a podcast of the same name, which runs alongside the TV edition and explores the societal impact of each case and is available to listen to across all the major podcast platforms.
This series could not have been made without the cooperation of each family and loved ones who shared their story and allowed us the privilege of filming with them.
This episode will air on Wednesday, February 26 at 9.30pm on TG4.
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