Gardaí renew appeal 21 years after murder of student in Clare
Emer O’Loughlin's remains were found in a caravan owned by John 'Fozzie’ Griffin near the mobile home she shared with her boyfriend, Shane Bowe. File picture
Gardaí have renewed their appeal for information on the killer of a young student murdered in Tubber, Co Clare, 21 years ago today.
The remains of Emer O’Loughlin, a 23 year-old student, were found inside a burnt-out mobile home at Ballybornagh, Tubber, on April 8, 2005.
Ms O’Loughlin had been living in a neighbouring mobile home with her boyfriend, Shane Bowe, where the couple had hoped to build a house.
On the morning of April 8, her boyfriend suggested she use a neighbour’s caravan to charge her phone as there was an issue with their electricity.
It was in the neighbour’s caravan, owned by John 'Fozzie’ Griffin, that her remains were found later that afternoon after a fire.
The following day the remains were confirmed as those of Ms O’Loughlin.
Mr Bowe, originally from Galway, passed away on April 6, 2018.
Gardaí spoke to Mr Griffin immediately after the fire. He stated he had stayed with a relative in Galway, where he was originally from, the night before Ms O'Loughlin’s death and knew nothing about the blaze.
He disappeared some 10 days after the fire and has not been seen since. In May 2010, following a cold-case review, gardaí secured an order to exhume Ms O’Loughlin’s remains.
As a result of more modern tests, gardaí upgraded their investigation to murder.
A statement issued by Garda HQ overnight said: “Today, April 8, 2026, marks the 21st anniversary of the murder of Emer O’Loughlin at Ballybornagh, Tubber, Co Clare.
“Gardaí are renewing their appeal for information and are asking the public if they have any piece of information which they feel might be relevant to this investigation to make contact with them.”
It said that on April 8, 2005, human remains were discovered in a mobile home close to where Ms O’Loughlin lived with her boyfriend at Ballybornagh, Tubber.
“The mobile home had been completely destroyed by fire,” it said. “Human remains discovered inside were later identified as being Emer’s.”
The statement continued: “On May 19, 2010, investigating gardaí exhumed her remains, which were then removed to University Hospital Galway where forensic anthropology tests were conducted. The tests indicated that Emer had died a violent death, and as a result the investigation was upgraded to that of murder.”
It said: “This year is the 21st year since Emer’s death and her family are still struggling to come to terms with her loss and are asking for your assistance in order to bring them closure. If you believe you maybe in a position to bring closure and get justice for them, gardaí would like to hear from you.”
It added: “Do you have any information that may assist with the investigation? Gardaí may have spoken to you previously and due to the passage of time, you may now feel better placed to assist with the investigation.”
Last November, an inquest into Ms O’Loughlin’s death returned a verdict of unlawful killing.
The art student was originally from Ennistymon, Co Clare, just over 30km from Tubber. After the inquest, her family appealed for information in relation to the whereabouts of Mr Griffin.
Ms O’Loughlin’s father, John, said there had to be people who knew where he was: "Oh there is, definitely. There has to be, nobody just disappears like that."
Mr Griffin’s last confirmed sighting was in Inis Mór on the Aran Islands on April 18, 2005.
His clothes were found at the edge of a cliff. Despite searches he was not been located and has never been reported as a missing person.
Gardaí believe the clothes were positioned at the cliff to give the impression he had taken his life. They suspect Mr Griffin is still alive and could have been assisted in leaving Inis Mór by another person.
Anyone with information can contact Gort Garda Station on 091 636400, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station.
- Cormac O'Keeffe, Security Correspondent
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
