McDowell insists ‘no deal’ over MacArthur murder

JUSTICE Minister Michael McDowell insisted there was no deal between the State and Malcolm MacArthur’s legal team to prevent MacArthur being tried for the murder of Offaly farmer Donal Dunne in 1982.

Sat, 18 Nov, 2006 - 00:00

Paul O’Brien, Political Reporter

MacArthur, 59, is serving a life sentence for the murder of Meath-born nurse Bridie Gargan in Dublin’s Phoenix Park on July 22 that year. He was also charged with killing Mr Dunne three days later, but the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) decided not to pursue that case.

During a visit to a school in Edenderry, Co Offaly, yesterday, Mr McDowell was unexpectedly asked by a sixth-year student about the failure to try MacArthur for the murder of Mr Dunne.