A 34-year-old man pleaded guilty to the murder of his wife four years ago at the Central Criminal Court yesterday.
Colin Whelan, of Clonard Street, Balbriggan, Co Dublin, was accused of the murder of Mary Whelan (27) at their home between February 28th and March 1st, 2001.
Before the guilty plea was entered by the accused, defence counsel Hugh Hartnett (with Luan Ó Braonáin) told Mr Justice Paul Carney that "a jury was not required".
Mr Justice Carney remanded Whelan in custody before sentencing today at the Central Criminal Court.
After the defendant entered his guilty plea of murder, the family of the victim breathed a sigh of relief in the packed courtroom at the Central Criminal Court.
Mary Whelan, formerly Gough, is survived by her mother Marie and five brothers.
Outside Court 2, the Gough family released a statement to the media in which they expressed their relief at the guilty plea by Whelan.
They also thanked the person who reported Whelan to gardaí after seeing the accused man in a bar in Spain last summer.
"Four years ago, Mary's life was robbed from us, the hurt that she suffered will stay with us forever," the statement read.
"We are relieved Colin Whelan had finally admitted his guilt.
"The last four years have been hell on earth.
"We have spent the time hoping and waiting for justice to be done.
"We would like to thank the Balbriggan gardaí and the very brave person who reported Colin to be in Spain, without which we might never have received the justice we got today."