Lines of Enquiry

In this episode of Lines of Enquiry: Case Notes, John and Darren continue their conversation with Julieanne Lynch, Kelly Lynch’s mother.Following her memories of Kelly in Part One, Julieanne describes the days after her daughter’s death and the difficulty of trying to understand what had happened. She shares where she feels her family were let down, raising concerns about communication with the authorities, scene preservation and the handling of potential evidence.The conversation also explores the differing medical opinions the family have received about how Kelly died, and the questions they continue to seek answers to. Above all, Julieanne reflects on wanting Kelly to be remembered for the person she was, and her hope that seeking accountability in her name might help other families.

At breakfast, on the morning Friday the 26th of October, 2012, a family in Portlaoise County Laois, find that their live-in nanny Aoife Phelan, is missing. She is not in her room, her bed is made, and her phone is going straight to voicemail. She had been out the night before and it seems she never came home. Her family haven’t heard from her either. As a search party gets underway a young man known to Aoife quietly boards a plane at Dublin Airport bound for New York City. When a detective reaches him in New York, he says he hasn’t heard from Aoife in weeks. The detective has heard otherwise. The lies have only just begun. And so has the search for Aoife Phelan. In this episode of Lines of Enquiry, John revisits the tragic search for Aoife Phelan and the investigation that had to untangle a web of lies that grew with each step. Presented John SweetmanCreated by Darren ClearyEpisode written by Anna Priestland Produced by Sam HobsonExecutive produced by Eoin Brennan Sound Design and Editing by Neil KavanaghAudio Editing Support by Ed SmithLegal, Marketing and Social Media Support by the Team at GoLoudArtwork and Graphics by Eric Rowntree

In this episode of Lines of Enquiry: Case Notes, John is joined by Darren Cleary for a conversation with Julieanne Lynch, the mother of Kelly Lynch. On St Patrick’s Day in 2024, 23-year-old Kelly was found dead under a bridge in Monaghan. Since then, her family have continued to seek answers about what happened to her.In the first of two parts, Julieanne helps us get to know Kelly through the memories they shared, their humour, everyday routines, and the close friendship they had as mother and daughter. She speaks about Kelly’s hopes for her future and the space her absence has left in their family’s lives.Julieanne also recalls their final conversations, the growing worry when Kelly stopped responding, and the devastating moment the family learned she had died.

In November 2024, Hungarian detectives searching for a missing American nurse traced her through CCTV from Budapest’s nightlife district. In the footage they saw Mackenzie Michalski, leaving a club and waling the city streets with a man. The pair entered an apartment building. After that, there was no further trace.Detectives set about locating the unidentified man - the last person seen with Mackenzie. When they did, they found an Irishman from a wealthy south Dublin family. Mackenzie had been spending one final night in a city she knew well and loved. The next morning, she missed her flight home. Her passport and belongings were still at her Airbnb, and her friends could not reach her. Camera by camera, investigators pieced together her last known movements. But they could find no footage of her leaving the man's apartment. In this episode, we follow the search for Mackenzie Michalski, examining how investigators pieced together the evidence from her last night in Budapest and uncovered a crime far darker than anything they first expected. Presented by John SweetmanCreated by Darren ClearyWritten by Sam HobsonScript Edited by Eoin BrennanProduced by Sam HobsonSenior Producer Siobhan WalshExecutive Produced by Eoin BrennanSound Design and Editing by Neil KavanaghAudio Editing Support by Ed SmithLegal, Marketing and Social Media Support by the Team at GoLoudArtwork and Graphics by Eric Rowntree

In April 2022, a series of violent attacks plunged Sligo into fear. Within the space of four days, two men were murdered in their homes and a third was left permanently injured after meeting a younger man through a dating app.In this episode of Lines of Enquiry: Incident Brief, John Sweetman examines the murders of Aidan Moffitt and Michael Snee, and the subsequent race to find the attacker before he struck again. Presented by John SweetmanCreated by Darren ClearyEpisode Written by Sam HobsonProduced by Sam HobsonSenior Producer Siobhan WalshExecutive Produced by Eoin BrennanSound Design and Editing by Neil KavanaghAudio Editing Support by Ed SmithLegal, Marketing and Social Media Support by the Team at GoLoudArtwork and Graphics by Eric Rowntree

In this episode of Lines of Enquiry: Case Notes, John is joined by Pat Marry, a retired Detective Inspector with An Garda Síochána and author of several books, including The Making of a Detective.Drawing on a career spanning more than three decades, Pat reflects on the persistence, attention to detail and empathy required to investigate serious crime.He revisits the murders of Rachel O’Reilly and Mary Gough, explaining how instinct made him challenge the accounts given by their husbands, Joe O’Reilly and Colin Whelan. Pat describes what he recalls as pioneering uses of mobile phone location analysis and computer evidence in these murder investigations, and the painstaking work required to turn emerging techniques into evidence that could stand up in court.Pat also speaks about investigating the murder of his colleague, Garda Adrian Donohoe, and the personal strain of seeking justice for someone he knew and worked alongside.

In this episode of Lines of Enquiry: Case Notes, Nules Ní Chléirigh, creator and host of Ireland Crimes and Mysteries, returns for another conversation with John Sweetman.This time, they look further back into Ireland’s criminal history, discussing Maamtrasna and the murder at Shandy Hall. They explore wrongful convictions, language barriers at trial and the lack of forensic science during these times, and how these stories live on generations later.Turning to more recent investigations, John and Nules discuss the challenges of revisiting unsolved murders and disappearances, including Raonaid Murray, Jo Jo Dullard and Deirdre Jacob. They reflect on the limits of searches, the potential of advances in forensic techniques, and why a lack of public updates does not necessarily mean an investigation has stopped.They also discuss how speaking with families can reveal a person beyond the headlines, sharing interests, ambitions and everyday details that help ensure a victim’s life is not defined solely by their death.If you’d like to get in touch, email [email protected] and follow @linesofenquirypodcast on Instagram.This episode was brought to you by Finance Solutions, because when you’re making a decision as important as buying a home, you want to know you’re dealing with people you can trust.Finance Solutions helps thousands of people buy homes or switch their mortgages in Ireland every year, and with more than 3,000 five star Google reviews, there are plenty of people who’ve already put their trust in their team.They offer simple, mortgage advice, tailored to you and your circumstances.Visit financesolutions.ie to get started. A short 10 minute call is all it takes to help them understand your needs.

We have reached the end of Season 4 of Lines of Enquiry. While the team are planning, researching, writing and recording Season 5, John is sitting down with a series of guests for Lines of Enquiry: Case Notes.In this episode, John is joined by Paul Curran, a retired Detective Sergeant with An Garda Síochána.Paul spent over 27 years working in major crime scene investigation, specialising in Garda photography, aerial and drone photography, and facial identification using EvoFIT.In this conversation, Paul reflects on the role of photography in serious investigations, from documenting crime scenes and post-mortems to capturing fragile evidence such as fingerprints in blood or dust. He explains why crime scene photography is not about recreating what happened, but carefully recording a scene as it was found.Paul also speaks about the development of forensic photography over his career, from darkrooms and film to digital photography, video walkthroughs, aerial photography and the use of EvoFIT in facial identification.Throughout the episode, he reflects on the responsibility of documenting some of the most serious crime scenes, and the role that careful, accurate photography can play in helping victims and their families.

In the summer of 2024 social workers from Tusla were trying to establish the whereabouts of an eight-year-old boy, named Kyran Durnin. They had concerns about his welfare, and where he might be living.  In July, a child was brought to meet them, and they were told it was Kyran. A second meeting followed in early August, and again the social workers were told the child was Kyran.Then, weeks later, Kyran and his mother Dayla were reported missing. As Gardaí begin investigating, they obtained family photographs of Kyran and showed them to the officials who attended those meetings. Social workers realise the boy in the photographs is not the child they met.   Soon, detectives realise they can find no trace of Kyran in recent months, or even years. Eventually gardai will tell the public they believe Kyran to be “missing, presumed dead”.This week we look at the still unresolved case of the missing Kyran Durnin, an ongoing investigation which has now for two years been trying to establish where Kyran is, and what may have happened to him. Alongside the garda investigation, there have been serious questions raised about how a child could disappear from the view of all public authorities for so long without anyone realising he was gone.This episode is not an attempt to solve an active case from the outside. It is an examination of the verified timeline and the gaps within it, that allowed Kyran to vanish.Presented by John Sweetman  Created by Darren Cleary  Written by Darren Cleary  Script Edited by Siobhan Walsh, Sam Hobson and Eoin Brennan  Produced by Sam Hobson  Senior Producer by Siobhan Walsh  Executive Produced by Eoin Brennan  Executive Produced by Ruth Fitzsimons  Sound Design and Editing by Neil Kavanagh  Audio Editing Support by Ed Smith  Marketing Support by Laura Bracken and Róisín Reilly  Social Media Support by Mark Hayes and Robyn Ree  Artwork and Graphics by Eric Rowntree

In the aftermath of the 1988 shooting at Sligo Hospital, Gardaí were drawn into a dramatic confrontation that saw a car plunge into the murky waters of Donegal Bay.As the investigation moved towards trial, the case became about more than the tragic death of Anne and Annie Gillespie. It exposed the limits of the justice system. In court, questions arose over mental health and responsibility, with consequences that would haunt the Gillespie family for decades. Presented by John Sweetman  Created by Darren Cleary  Written by Anna Priestland  Script Edited by Siobhan Walsh, Sam Hobson and Eoin Brennan  Produced by Sam Hobson  Senior Producer by Siobhan Walsh  Executive Produced by Eoin Brennan  Executive Produced by Ruth Fitzsimons  Sound Design and Editing by Neil Kavanagh  Audio Editing Support by Ed Smith  Marketing Support by Laura Bracken and Róisín Reilly  Social Media Support by Mark Hayes and Robyn Ree  Artwork and Graphics by Eric Rowntree