A man charged with the murder of a Leitir Mor schoolgirl, Siobhan Hynes, appeared before Galway District Court yesterday where he was further remanded in custody to appear before Dublin District Court next month.
Mr John McDonagh (25), a labourer, of Keeraunbeg, Carraroe, Co Galway, who also faces a second serious charge in connection with the crime which occurred last December 6th at Keeraunbeg, expressed a preference to be remanded in custody to Mountjoy Prison. No reason was given, and there was no objection from gardai.
Judge John Garavan then remanded Mr McDonagh in custody to appear in Dublin on July 6th.
The defendant remained calm throughout the two-minute hearing. Members of his family were present in court.
He was arrested by Supt Jim Sugrue in connection with the murder in an early-morning operation on June 18th in Maynooth, Co Kildare. The accused man appeared before Athboy District Court later that day where he was charged with the crimes and remanded in custody to yesterday's hearing.
Ms Hynes (17) was murdered early on December 6th last year. Her body was found on Tismeain Beach two miles south of Carraroe later that day.
She was a popular teenager in the Leitir Mor community and a talented musician and singer. She was a member of the local choir and had been rehearsing for a Christmas ceremony.
On the night of her murder she, her sister and a few friends had been socialising in Carraroe. She became separated from the others when she decided to go for a bag of chips shortly before 1 a.m. That was the last time Siobhan, who was the middle of three daughters, was seen alive.
She was due to sit her Leaving Certificate examination this summer. Fifty gardai were involved in the murder investigation.