Lough Sheelin, Cavan: Two Bodies Found In Search For Missing Dublin Men: UPDATED*

Eoin O'Connor and Anthony Keegan were last seen in Cavan on 22 April

Two bodies have been found on an island in Lough Sheelin in the search for two Dublin men who have been missing for over a month.

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  TheJournal.ie - Gardaí appeal for information on two bodies discovered in Meath lake

GardaÍ are appealing for information about two bodies found in Meath yesterday afternoon.

The bodies were discovered during a search for two men missing from Dublin.

Eoin O Connor (32) and Anthony Keegan (33) have not been seen in over a month.

The post mortems of the two bodies found yesterday are ongoing.

The decomposed remains were discovered by garda divers on Inchicup Island in Lough Sheelin at around 4:30 yesterday afternoon.

It’s understood that the bodies had been hidden on the small island and covered over with a tarpaulin.

Gardaí are now appealing for anyone who seen a Grey Ford Focus 04 D 46380 in the vicinity of Lough Sheelin between April 20-25 to come forward.

Superintendent Sean Farrell is also appealing for information from anyone who was fishing or sailing on the lake on April 22 and 23 or who may have been walking on the shoreline on those dates.

The public can contact the incident room in Kells on 046 9280828, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda station. www.garda.ie
UPDATE: State Pathologist Dr Marie Cassidy is due to carry out a preliminary examination later on the bodies of two men found on an island in a lake in Co Meath.
The discovery was made as part of the investigation into the disappearance of two Dublin men last month. Anthony Keegan, 33, and Eoin O'Connor, 32, were last seen in Cavan on 22 April. A house near the shore of Lough Sheelin has also been sealed off for a forensic examination. Detectives believe their disappearance is connected to the activities of an organised criminal gang. Gardaí began searching the island on Lough Sheelin, which is only accessible by boat, earlier this week, after receiving information from local people. Two bodies were discovered under tarpaulin, covered with vegetation, at around 4.30pm yesterday afternoon. They also appear to have been tied up. The victims have not been identified, but the families of the two missing men have been informed of what gardaí said was a significant development in the investigation.

Eoin O'Connor and Anthony Keegan were last seen in Co Cavan on the evening of 22 April.

Mr O'Connor, 32, and Mr Keegan, 33, were reported missing at Mountjoy and Santry Garda Stations by their families.

A car they were using was found near Mullingar, Co Westmeath, three days later.

Gardaí suspect their disappearance was connected to the activities of an organised criminal gang.

Over the last month a number of searches have been carried out in a large area around Lough Sheelin along the county boundary between Cavan and Meath.

Eoin O’Connor (32) and Anthony Keegan (33), who were from Dublin, disappeared after going to meet someone in Ballyjamesduff in Cavan in a prearranged meeting.

Their bodies were found at approximately 4pm this afternoon on an island on Lake Sheelin in Cavan.

The cause of death has not been confirmed.

Gardaí are also concentrating on a house in the Meath which is a suspected crime scene.

A car belonging to the two men was found at Lough Owel, outside Mullingar, Co Westmeath last month.

An incident room has been set up in Kells Garda Station. www.garda.ie 

The two bodies were discovered this afternoon following a search on an island.


*NEWS UPDATE: THE prime suspect for the gangland murders of two men whose bodies were found on an island in a rural lake is a foreign national who has since fled the country with his partner.


Gardai believe that Eoin O'Connor (32) and Anthony Keegan (33) were shot dead in a house in Co Cavan and their bodies then brought by boat to Inchicup  Island between April 22 and 23.


A man who had been fishing on Lough Sheelin, on the Cavan-Meath border, at the weekend contacted gardai after noticing what was described as a "terrible smell" coming from the island.


The badly decomposed bodies of the two men were found under a tarpaulin in heavy undergrowth on Monday afternoon. It is understood that they had been tied together and shot.


It is believed that the two Dubliners, who had been regular visitors to a number of drug dealers in the south Cavan area, went to collect a drug debt owed to a major drug gang.


One theory being pursued by detectives is that the men may have been shot in a "spur of the moment" reaction when they visited the foreign national, who is described as a violent drug dealer. The criminal is well known to gardai and has been suspected of involvement in the manufacture of pipe bombs.


Gardai now want to question four people about the murders, including two women – the girlfriend of the chief suspect in the case and the daughter of another man who may have been involved in the murders.


Yesterday gardai appealed for anyone to come forward who may have seen the men's grey Ford Focus, 04 D 46380, close to Lough Sheelin, near the townland of Ross, Mountnugent, between April 20 and 25 or anywhere close to the Cavan/ Meath border.


The Ford Focus the men travelled in is understood to have remained parked at the man's rented accommodation for a number of days before it was moved. 


On April 25, gardai recovered the vehicle in a car park overlooking Lough Owel outside Mullingar.
It is understood that forensic experts found no evidence in the car to suggest that a violent attack had taken place.
A mobile phone found in the car provided a number of important clues.
Gardai want to talk to anyone who may have been fishing or sailing on the lake on April 22 or 23 or who may have been walking on the shoreline on those dates.


Drugs: 
Three weeks ago gardai seized a boat equipped with an outboard motor during a search of a number of properties in the area, including the suspect's rented accommodation.
Sources say that the boat was being rented by the prime suspect, who is closely associated with another drug gang operating in the midlands.


The foreign national left Ireland for the UK in the company of his girlfriend after the murdered men's families reported them missing on April 23.
It is understood that a number of the man's associates have also fled the country in fear of a revenge attack by the gang boss who sent the men to collect the debt.
A post mortem was carried out yesterday on the remains of O'Connor and Keegan, who are believed to have been shot dead.
Two houses in Co Meath were also being searched by gardai, including the one rented by the chief suspect where the murder is thought to have taken place.
It is understood that gardai have now established a list of suspects as a result of information gleaned from the men's associates, other intelligence sources and analysis of phone traffic.


A senior source last night confirmed that gardai would be carrying out a number of arrests.
According to his family, O'Connor appeared concerned for his safety before he set off for Co Cavan on Tuesday, April 22. He instructed a relative to give gardai the name of a suspected drug dealer who he planned to visit in Ballyjamesduff if he failed to return.


However, gardai have since interviewed the man, who confirmed that he received a visit from the two men on the previous day. Security sources say they are now satisfied that this man was not involved in the pair's disappearance.
The investigation, which had been co-ordinated from Ballymun garda station under the command of Supt Paul Moran and Det Supt Jim McGowan, will now be passed to colleagues based at Kells station, where an incident room was set up yesterday.


*NEWS UPDATE:
DETECTIVES investigating the sickening double murder of two pals whose decomposed bodies were found on an island lake believe they were set-up by one of their closest criminal associates.


The evil Dublin crimelord who gardai believe is behind the murders had been actively looking for murdered Eoin O’Connor (32) and Anthony Keegan (33), despite the fact that gardai believe he set up the close friends for their gruesome deaths.


The shocking development comes as port-mortem results showed that both O’Connor and Keegan were shot in the back of the head “execution-style” after being lured to their grim fate.


However, gardai believe that one of the men witnessed his friend being shot dead - after the autopsy showed that he had been shot in the hand in an attempt to defend himself. This bullet then passed through the unfortunate victim’s stomach before he was shot in the head.


Barbarity:


“What happened here is an example of absolute barbarity involving a tangled web of gangland but gardai are confident of the chain of events now,” a senior source told a newspaper. 


“More has been discovered about this case in the last three days than what showed up in the three weeks previously. It is amazing really.”


It has emerged that the murdered duo had “lost money and drugs” belonging to a number of dangerous Dublin gangs in the months before their sinister disappearance which led to them being considered “disposable”.


While the investigation was focused on the fact that they were in Cavan to collect a drugs debt owed to their own gang, gardai now believe that this was a ruse to have the two pals murdered by their own mob.


It is now believed that one of these criminals - a male foreign national - was involved in bringing the bodies of the murdered men in a boat to the small island on Lough Shelin where their badly decomposed remains were discovered after a local fisherman noticed a foul smell.


Gardai are working on the theory that this dangerous thug, who is involved in drug dealing and pipe bomb making, had a €30,000 debt he owed to the Dublin crimelord “wiped clean” if he took part in the disposal of the bodies of O’Connor and Keegan, last seen alive on April 22.


A senior source pointed out: “Those unfortunate lads thought they were going up to collect a drugs debt in Co Cavan - they were already in a lot of bother over stuff they had lost.


murdered:


“But it had already been decided that they would be murdered before they ever got to Cavan - the leader of their gang decided they had to be made an example of despite how close he was to them.


“This was a planned murder and those fellas were sacrificial lambs - the leader of their gang 
decided that they were disposable and that their murders would placate other criminals in Dublin whose drugs and money they had lost.”


Close associates of the gang boss - a notorious tiger kidnapper - were previously beaten up by murdered Real IRA terror chief Alan Ryan just weeks before Ryan was shot dead in September, 2012. 


The public has been asked to contact gardai in Kells on 046 9280828, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any garda station. www.garda.ie 

Keywords: cavan