Garda denies 'one-track' probe into Barron death

A senior garda today denied to the Morris Tribunal today that gardaí held a “one-track” investigation into the death of cattle dealer Richie Barron in 1996.

Detective Superintendent John McGinley refuted claims that officers traced phone calls between two pubs on the night Mr Barron died to deliberately link Frank McBrearty Jr and his first cousin Mark McConnell to the murder.

The 242nd day of the inquiry into Garda corruption in Donegal is focusing on the investigation into the death of Mr Barron during which McBrearty family members were identified as murder suspects.

On his third day of evidence, Det Supt McGinley insisted that tracing phone-calls between Quinn’s Pub in Raphoe where McConnell was drinking and nearby Frankie’s Nightclub where McBrearty Jr worked, was a routine part of the investigation.

He said: “It was part of the wider investigation process. It wasn’t honed in or focused on anybody at that point.”

“There was a lot of rumour floating around at the time. There was a feeling coming in from the ground that these people (McBrearty Jr and McConnell) may have been involved.

Justice Frederick Morris asked the witness if officers were trying to “reinforce the idea that the two gentlemen in question planned the attack” on Mr Barron.

Peter Charleton SC for the tribunal also suggested that other leads in the investigation were overlooked to focus on the links relating to Mr McCormack and Mr McBrearty Jr.

Denying this, Det Supt McGinley, who was a detective inspector in Letterkenny at the time, added: “No. It would be unfair to say that we had a one-track investigation.”