by Andrew Carey
THE MAN who confessed to murdering a Rathkeale woman in her Dublin home in 1994 has admitted himself to the Central Mental Hospital following the exhumation of the woman’s remains earlier this week.
42 year-old Margaret ‘Margot’ Seery was found dead in her Dublin apartment on October 8, 1994 and an inquest found she died of asphyxiation from choking. Foul play was ruled out at the time and no one was sought in connection with her death.
The mother of a young daughter was laid to rest in the Guinane family plot in St Mary’s Burial Ground next to Rathkeale Church alongside her father Michael who died some years earlier. Her mother Ciss, who passed away seven years ago, was laid to rest there in 2007.
Gardaí from the cold case unit reopened the case after a man in his 40s walked into Terenure Garda Station earlier this summer and confessed to strangling the Limerick woman after a night out socialising.
He is said to have given a detailed outline of events from the night Ms. Seery died and brought Gardaí to the apartment where her body was found. Given the level of detail of the confession, an investigation was opened and Detective Inspector George McGeary sought an order to exhume Ms Seery’s remains.
Coroner for West Limerick, Brendan Nix SC said that he was impressed with the level of detail in the Garda file and had no hesitation seeking the exhumation order from the Minister for Justice.
Shortly after 7:30am on Tuesday, gravediggers from Noel O’Connor Memorials, accompanied by Gardaí from the Technical Bureau, began to exhume Ms Seery’s remains from the plot in Rathkeale. Following an initial inspection by Deputy State Pathologist Dr Michael Curtis, the remains were taken by hearse to University Hospital Limerick where a second postmortem was carried out – the results of which have been withheld for operational reasons.
Speaking outside the cemetery, which had been declared a temporary crime scene, Mr Nix paid tribute to the Gardaí and the local community for their professionalism and sensitivity.
On Tuesday night, Ms Seery’s remains were reinterred and a prayer service was held.
The Limerick Post has since learned that the man who made the confessed to strangling Ms Seery has been admitted to the Central Mental Hospital. He is understood to have a history of psychiatric problems.
Mr Nix said that it was a “terribly sad time for the family” but that the matter was now part of a Garda investigation “which is ongoing and will be ongoing for some time.”
Following the conclusion of all examinations, including DNA sampling, a Garda file will be prepared and sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Ms Seery, who was separated at the time of her death, still has relatives living in the Rathkeale area. Her daughter emigrated to Australia and her late parents ran a newsagents shop on Main Street where they lived.
Family members, some of whom were present at Tuesday’s exhumation, are said to be devastated at the latest turn of events.
