A 49-year-old man was charged at Naas District Court yesterday with the murder of Frances Ralph in the town on Thursday morning. Kitty Holland reports.
John Egan, Poplar Grove, Naas, was remanded in custody to appear at Cloverhill District Court next Thursday morning.
Ms Ralph, a mother of three, was stabbed as she waited for a taxi with her husband in Main Street at about 12.40am on Thursday. They had just had dinner at the Les Olives restaurant across the road from the rank.
There were angry scenes yesterday as Mr Egan was led from a Garda car into the courthouse shortly before 11.30am. Wearing blue tracksuit bottoms, he pulled a blue hooded top over his head, shielding his face from the crowd of about 100 people.
Insp Pat Mangan of Naas gardaí told the court he had arrested Mr Egan and charged him with murder yesterday morning. When he had asked Mr Egan whether he had any reply he had said: "No".
Mr Egan was granted legal aid and remanded in custody.
There were further angry scenes outside the courthouse as he was led out to a Garda car, with one female bystander attempting to pull his hooded jacket down from his face.
Ms Ralph (46), who lived in Sallins Bridge just outside Naas, had been celebrating her 25th wedding anniversary with her husband Michael on Wednesday night.
He described her as "a wonderful person, a mother who instilled values in her children that have allowed them to walk with similar values".
In an interview with the Evening Herald, he said he and his wife had had dinner, then a drink in Fletcher's pub, before going for a taxi.