Inquest to open into baby girl's mystery death

An inquest into the death of a baby girl found covered in blood in a Dublin lane more than 30 years ago is due to hear evidence from dozens of witnesses when it begins today.

The Dublin County Coroner’s Court is to hear from up to 40 witnesses during four days as it probes the three-decade-old death.

A woman, Cynthia Owen, called for the inquest to be reopened after she came forward claiming to be the mother of the baby girl, known as Noleen.

She claims the baby found in a laneway in Dun Laoghaire was one of two she gave birth to as a young teenager during the 1970s. Ms Owen insisted gardaí should have charged her late mother with murder.

She claims the baby, who was never officially identified, was stabbed with a knitting needle.

Ms Owen is due to give evidence, as are a number of members of her family and several gardaí.

On a previous occasion, Ms Owen said she expected the full hearing of the inquest would officially identify her daughter and deliver a verdict of unlawful killing.

The Coroner’s Court, sitting in the Plaza Hotel in Tallaght, has heard the Director of Public Prosecutions has decided there will be no charges brought in the case.

The inquest was reopened by Dr Kieran Geraghty more than 30 years after the baby’s death following representations by Ms Owen’s solicitors. The inquest has heard the baby died from haemorrhaging from blood vessels in the neck due to stab wounds.

Ms Owen came forward claiming to be the mother of the baby just over a decade ago. The woman, who is now in her 40s, claimed she witnessed Noleen being stabbed to death.

Gardaí dug up the back garden of a home in Dalkey after Ms Owen claimed the body of the other baby she gave birth to in the 1970s was buried there, but nothing was found.