Fresh lead comes to light in Ennis murder as hackney driver laid to rest

NEW information about the vicious murder of the Clare hackney driver came to light yesterday as the victim, Liam Moloney, was buried in Ennis.

As the huge investigation continues, gardaí yesterday narrowed the time gap in the sequence of events from the time Liam Moloney was last seen alive and the discovery of his abandoned car, from 30 hours to just 50 minutes.

Gardaí said a previously unreported sighting of Mr Moloney in Ennis on Friday night has been confirmed. They have also established that his bloodstained car was parked behind a pub in Barefield at 8.20pm on Friday, narrowing the gap between the last sighting of Mr Moloney and discover of his abandoned Mazda to 50 minutes.

Addressing a packed congregation at the funeral Mass in the Cathedral of SS Peter and Paul, Fr Paul Ryan said the very violent death of Liam Moloney raised questions about where we, as a people, are going.

"Every instinct in us revolts against it and revolts against the disrespect for life, which is sadly creeping into Irish society and raises very fundamental questions about where our values lie and about where we are going as a people," Fr Ryan said.

To have such tragic news broken to a family, he said, must be one of the greatest nightmares that can befall anyone, leaving them desolate and numb.

"Liam's very violent death has shattered us as a community," Fr Ryan added.

Speaking on behalf of the family, Fintan Moloney, brother of Liam, thanked everybody for their support "over all of these dark and terrible days and their support in this dark time".

Referring to the murder investigations, Mr Moloney said: "I want to thank the gardaí for their assistance as they proceed to try and find out why this dark deed happened and we hope they will quickly bring it to a conclusion."

He said Liam was the third child in a family of five boys and one girl.

Describing him as a keen golfer, his brother said the last time they spoke, Liam was resisting playing with the seniors section at his club in Ennis.

"He felt he was too young to be playing with the seniors," said Mr Moloney.

Mourners were led by Mr Moloney's estranged wife, Eileen and their four sons, David, Ronan, Peter and Shane. Staff members from Aer Lingus in Shannon formed a guard of honour.

Meanwhile, Supt John Kerin, who is heading the investigation, said that after leaving a fare at Clarecastle, Mr Moloney returned to Ennis.

"A friend of his has contacted us to say he spoke with him at 7.30pm on Friday night at Mill Road, Ennis.

Mr Moloney stopped to have a chat with his friend. And we have now also established that his car was parked behind Considine's pub in Barefield at 8.20pm on Friday night," Supt Kerin said.

Initially, the gap from a last sighting to the discovery of the car was nearly 30 hours from 7.14pm on Friday night at Ennis Cabs to 1am on Monday morning when his car was found at Barefield.

The garda search is now concentrated on roads between Ennis, Barefield and Ruan, where Mr Moloney's body was found on Saturday afternoon.

The person Mr Moloney drove from Ennis Cabs to Clarecastle at 7.14pm on Friday night has come forward and been eliminated from inquiries after seeing the dead man's photograph in newspapers.