Twenty-six-year-old Paul Gallagher’s body was shot dead in a field at Ballymacan, Co Meath on Monday 28 July 2014.
His body was found by his brother and sister lying face down with gunshot wounds to his back and neck.
Over the intervening years and despite a number of arrests having been made, the search for justice by Mr Gallagher’s family goes on.
In a candid interview on RTÉ’s monthly Crimecall programme last night (Monday), his older sister Marie told of the harrowing moment when she found Mr Gallagher’s body two days after he first went missing.
“I didn’t expect to see Paul lying the way he was,” she said.
“It looked like Paul may have run and was killed just as he was running for his life basically.” Marie said her younger sibling was a devoted father, adding his death over ten years later is still as raw today as it was back then.
“He was very loveable,” she added. “His son had gone home that evening and when mum was dropping them up, he just said to his son ‘I’ll see you later son’, but that see you later never happened.”
Gardaí believe Mr Gallagher was collected at his family home in Donaghmeade by a man in a red VW Golf before it travelled to a field in Ballymacan, some 8km west of Slane village.
It’s understood he spent a period of time in the field before returning to the car as it made its way back along the N2.
Later that same evening, Mr Gallagher was collected by the same man. Detectives are satisfied the car stopped in Tullyallen village where two other men got in ahead of its return to the Ballymacan area.
Detective Sergeant Clarissa Byrne said investigating officers were renewing their focus to anyone with information and who may be able to finally bring justice to the Gallagher family some ten years later, to come forward.
“This has been a very difficult period for the Gallagher family and we believe there are people out there that can progress this investigation,” she said.
“The investigation team acknowledge that people have come forward with information on previous appeals but tonight with the passage of time, people’s personal circumstances may have changed, they may have been reluctant to come forward but we are reaching out to anyone with information to please come forward.”
Anyone with information can contact Crimecall on 1800 40 50 60 investigating gardaí at Navan Garda Station on (046) 9036100, the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111 or any Garda Station.
