22 thoughts on “De Tuesday Papers

  1. some old queen

    Examiner: I had to clear my name.

    This story does not state if Mr Mullen supports Ms Owens’s call for a public inquiry?

    1. dylad

      I don’t get the use of the past tense? From what I gather of this case, his name was not cleared of child rape?

  2. dylad

    Look, he carried out his own investigation into the whole matter too, and that wasn’t taken into account. Why not I wonder?

  3. Annus Horribilis

    I wonder what insights the Examiner will have into the 2015 property market.

  4. Frida

    All the more reason for Cynthia Owen’s baby’s body to be exhumed. Someone should tell Frank Mullen that giving an interview to a newspaper does not clear your name.

  5. Vanessa

    The fact is Cynthia Owen was abused and as yet no one has been charged. As for dpp sending garda files back ditto with files on brendan smyth collecting dust for 3 years despite northern ireland police seeking extradition. Recently a solicitor from dpp’s office took extended sick lealve as she featured in graham dwyer bondage tape along with tragic Elaine o Hara. Ive no confidence in dpps office .

    1. some old queen

      Not giving too much detail away but a retired social worker from Belfast is currently writing a book on the Smyth activities north of the border.

  6. Lilly

    Well done Mick Clifford for airing this story. Frank Mullen doesn’t sound at all credible.

    1. Saturday Night Newsround

      Lily, are you being ironic?

      Perhaps I’m influenced by having recently read one of his fiction books, ‘the Deal’, involving a hero who got into trouble with a woman he met for sex on the internet, who wouldn’t go away and kept making up stories about him, but I rather got the impression Mick was sympathetic to Frank than otherwise.

      Not that that means we shouldn’t read the story and make up our own mind uninfluenced by the views of someone writing for the same paper that also publishes Terry Prone.

      I wonder did Mr Mullen employ a PR company?

      1. Lilly

        No, I’m just glad to see the story being aired. Maybe Mick Clifford is sympathetic towards Frank Mullen as you say but he had to strive for balance, which means readers are free to make up their own minds – or better yet, investigate further. The more people who are aware of this the better. I doubt he employed a PR company – isn’t the Prone mantra, when you’re explaining you’re losing.

        1. Saturday Night Newsround

          Just curious about the choice of the Examiner, for a Dublin story.

          1. Lilly

            Isn’t the Examiner trying to market itself as a national broadsheet these days. But yes, I take your point.

            Let’s hope The Irish Times takes up the baton now with a more searching approach, along the lines of Sibling of Daedalus’ questions. I’m not holding my breath but you never know.

  7. Sibling of Daedalus

    Given that the interview refers to Mr Mullen’s involvement in the investigation into the death of Noeleen Murphy, it would have been helpful if Michael Clifford had asked him about some of the matters which came out at the inquest regarding this investigation, in particular:

    (i) why the investigation lasted a mere six weeks;
    (ii) why no blood samples were taken from Noleen’s body;
    (iii) why several items are missing, along with the plastic bag in which she had been found and its contents, from which no forensic samples had been taken.
    (iv) why half the investigation file has disappeared.
    (v) why a written statement purportedly signed by Eddie Russell, Station Sergeant, detailing discovery of the baby’s body, was subsequently denied by Mr Russell as not having been executed by him.

    There’s no secret about any of these matters – they were all highlighted at Noeleen’s inquest some years ago – and we’ve never got a satisfactory response from the Gardai on any of them.

    Extremely disappointing that they were not highlighted in this piece, Michael Clifford’s failure to do so does not do justice to the story – or indeed to the person the piece is purporting to exonerate. The question is – why not?

    None of this is going to make a great impression with the U.N. when they look at how the Gardai and Government have handled this case.

      1. Saturday Night Newsround

        Sibling was ‘ere before you were spawned, Monster.

        But I agree with you about the soft focus – even the photographs look like they were shot through a pair of nylons for the Saturday Supplement or whatnot.

          1. Saturday Night Newsround

            Not at all surprising as Mullen is very critical of the Gardai for not exonerating him. Maybe he should also be critical of Michael McDowell for vetoing an exhumation of Noeleen?

          2. Lilly

            Ah ha, so he’s on a solo run. That explains it alright. I must re-read the piece, sped-read it earlier.

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