McAreavey murder - Protest at photographs

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Eamon Gilmore met yesterday with Ambassador Brendan McMahon to stress his concern about the publication of photographs of the body of Michaela McAreavey.

He has asked the ambassador to deliver a strong protest.

Publication of the photographs has added insult to the enormous grief of her family at her murder and at the handling of the investigation. Mr Gilmore stopped short of issuing any advice in relation to the decision by a Co Donegal travel agent to stop selling trips to Mauritius out of solidarity with the murdered women’s family.

There are many unsolved murder cases in this country, and it might have been a bit presumptuous of Mr Gilmore to comment on that in the circumstances, but the publication of full-length photographs of the body was a different matter.

There has been no shortage of media coverage of the case, and people should be able to make up their own minds about whether to holiday in Mauritius. It would seem unlikely that there will be any great holiday rush from this country.