Clare man denies murder of ex-girlfriend

A murder trial was told that 23-year-old Ann Walsh was found strangled to death in the grounds of a church in Kilrush, Co Clare, after spending an evening with her ex-boyfriend, Raymond Donovan, on August 24th last year.

A barman working at Crotty's pub in Kilrush, Andrew Jenkins, told the Central Criminal Court in Ennis, Co Clare, yesterday that the pair, who were in the pub that night, "seemed like boyfriend-girlfriend. They were hugging and kissing in the bar."

Mr Donovan (24), New Houses, Cooraclare, Co Clare, yesterday pleaded not guilty to the murder of Ms Walsh at Toler Street, Kilrush.

Isobel Kennedy SC, for the State, told the court Mr Donovan and Ms Walsh had been together for three years in a period before September 2004.

She said Ms Walsh was not in a relationship in August 2005 and that witnesses would tell the jury that Mr Donovan and Ms Walsh were seen drinking together in Crotty's pub on August 24th, 2005.

While in Crotty's, the pair were joined by Ms Walsh's brother, Stephen Walsh, and another woman before Ms Walsh and Mr Donovan left the pub at 9pm.

The couple were last seen together at 9.55pm outside a Mace shop in Kilrush town centre. Ms Kennedy said gardaí received a call from Mr Donovan's brother, Seán, at 11.01pm, and as a result gardaí went to St Senan's Church. They met Raymond and Seán Donovan standing inside the gate and were directed to the rear left-hand corner of the church grounds, where they found Ms Walsh's body.

Ms Kennedy said one garda checked for a pulse, but there was none.

Raymond Donovan was arrested at the scene.

Ms Kennedy said the trial would be told by Assistant State Pathologist Dr Michael Curtis that a postmortem carried out on Ms Walsh found that she died from strangulation.

A barman at Johnson's bar in Kilrush, Kevin Finn, said that earlier that night, he had seen Mr Donovan walk across the square, and he seemed drunk.

He said: "He took a stagger."

Mr Jenkins, the barman at Crotty's, told the court that Mr Donovan and Ms Walsh bought each other drinks while he was working there.

The two had one drink each before Mr Jenkins started work at 7pm and Mr Donovan had a double and then a single brandy with coke while Ms Walsh had two pints of Budweiser.

The trial continues before Mr Justice Paul Carney.