Angry scenes as man charged with woman’s murder

John Breslin

Close to 100 people gathered outside the court in Naas, Co Kildare, as 49-year-old John Egan was escorted out of a garda car, his head covered by a coat. A number of people called on him to remove the coat.

Egan, of 14 Poplar Grove, Naas, was charged with the murder of 46-year-old mother of three boys, Frances Ralph.

Ms Ralph, from Sallins, a village two miles outside Naas, was fatally stabbed at a taxi rank early on Thursday morning. She had been out for a meal with her husband and friends, who were celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary.

At a special sitting of Naas District Court, Inspector Pat Mangan said when Egan was charged with murder at 11.15pm on Thursday, the accused replied: “No.”

The suspect, wearing dark trousers and a white, red and black t-shirt, remained silent during the short court appearance. His face was covered in cuts and bruises.

Superintendent Tom Neville applied for the accused to be remanded in custody.

Defence solicitor Brian Price made no objection.

Judge John Coughlan remanded Egan in custody to appear before Cloverhill District Court next Thursday, August 25.

Bouquets of flowers and written tributes were left at the scene of Ms Ralph’s murder.

One card read: “Fran, we grew up together in Greenhills and Perrystown. You were one of the best.”

Another stated: “You will be sorely missed as a great neighbour.”

Ms Ralph was standing at the taxi rank with her husband and a couple of friends when she was stabbed once in the back.

She was pronounced dead at Naas General Hospital around 1.30am, approximately 45 minutes after she was struck.

The fatally injured woman had been taken to hospital in the back of a garda patrol car.

A Health Service Executive spokesman said: “The Eastern Region Ambulance Service in Naas was busy dealing with another situation when notification of the incident was received.

“The service has contingencies in place for busy evenings like this and an ambulance was present at the scene within about 14 minutes.

“In the interim, the gardaí had decided to transfer the patient to Naas General Hospital. Sadly, despite the exhaustive efforts of medical and nursing staff at the hospital to resuscitate the patient, the patient was pronounced dead some time later.”

As the family finalised funeral arrangements yesterday, parish priest Father Thomas McDonnell led the tributes to the popular and well-known Sallins resident.

“She was a very fine, upstanding person ... She was standing waiting for a taxi on the main street. This was a completely senseless, random thing,” he said.

Mrs Ralph’s youngest son Emmet is due to start secondary school in two weeks time. She had two other sons, Niall, 20, and Darragh, 22.

She worked at the AIB in Naas. A bank spokesman issued a statement on behalf of those she worked with. It said: “The tragic loss of our colleague has shocked and saddened us all and our thoughts are with her family and friends.”