GARDAÍ IN Galway have appealed for public assistance in the continuing investigation into the murder of Connemara secondary schoolteacher and publican John Kenny (56).
Supt Noel Kelly of Salthill Garda station said yesterday that they were following “a few different lines of inquiry”.
A large team of gardaí, backed up by specialists from the National Bureau of Criminal Investigations, is working on the murder investigation since it was upgraded on Monday night.
Gardaí are appealing to anyone who may have been in the vicinity of Mr Kenny’s bar on Oughterard’s main street late last Saturday night or early Sunday morning to contact them.
The critical hours of interest were between 11.30pm on Saturday and 4am last Sunday.
Detectives are appealing for witnesses who might have seen “anything out of the normal for Oughterard” or “any strangers in the vicinity” or persons with “marks on them that would be consistent with a fight”.
Results of a postmortem carried out by State Pathologist Prof Marie Cassidy on the body of Mr Kenny at Galway University Hospital on Monday showed he died as a result of an assault.
His body was discovered on the ground floor of the family’s licensed premises in Oughterard on Sunday evening.
His hands had been tied, but there were no immediate signs of a break-in.
Mr Kenny was a teacher at Presentation College, Athenry. His daughter Gillian is on the staff at the school.
The school has described him as a valued member of the teaching staff for the past 19 years, who was held in high esteem by staff, students and parents alike.
Supt Kelly said CCTV footage was being checked at various locations both inside and outside of Oughterard, but there was no CCTV security in the pub.
The investigation team is also trying to interview everyone who was in the pub on Saturday night to eliminate them from their inquiries.
A Garda family liaison officer had been appointed to keep in close contact with Mr Kenny’s family, including his wife Kathleen, daughter Gillian, and his two brothers, Jim and Aidan – one of whom is a garda.
Anyone with any information is asked to contact Oughterard Garda station on 091-557320.
