FAMILY’S PAIN | 

Brother of missing Limerick man feared kidnapped and murdered begs for ‘closure’

“It’s 25 years now and at this stage all we want is someone to come forward with information, all we want is a bone, all we want is closure”

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The brother of a missing Limerick man, Matthew Carroll, who it is feared was kidnapped and murdered 25 years ago this month, joined Gardai in making a fresh appeal for information about the case.

Mr Carroll’s brother Seamus Carroll said Wednesday that, all his family wishes for is to be able to give his older brother a Christian burial.

“It’s 25 years now and at this stage all we want is someone to come forward with information, all we want is a bone, all we want is closure,” said Seamus Carroll.

“What the family has gone through over the last 25 years, I wouldn’t wish it on any family, so I’m urging anyone with information to help us put this to bed once and for all,” added Mr Carroll.

On June 8, 1998, Matthew Carroll was socialising in the Steering Wheel pub, Roxboro. He exited the pub around 8pm for his home at Rose Court, Keyes Park, but and never completed the five-minute walk.

Sources believe Mr Carroll was abducted and murdered by members of a criminal family, and that witnesses have information that could help gardai with their enquires, however Gardai have declined to officially comment on this theory.

Making a fresh appeal for information, Detective Garda Shane Kirwan, Roxboro Road Garda Station, said: “Through the passage of time, people’s loyalties may have changed, people might have information that they didn’t come forward with at the time, and we are even willing to speak to people who may have spoken to us previously and may have information.”

Seamus Carroll said he drove past the Steering Wheel bar on the same summer’s evening his brother was socialising inside the establishment.

Seamus said he believes “someone had to have seen something” of his brother leaving the pub and walking in the direction of his home, because there was a large gathering of people at the pub who were celebrating John Carew Park FC’s winning the Lawson Cup the previous day.

“I drove past the pub that evening, it was a summers night, there were 40 or 50 people sitting outside the pub, so this thing that nobody saw anything, or that they didn’t see Matthew leave is codswallop,” said Seamus Carroll.

Gardaí have also declined to comment on claims from an anonymous source that they received information in January 2021 that allegedly included specific details about why Mr Carroll was abducted and murdered, as well as who was involved.

When asked about this, a garda spokesman replied: “We are not in a position to comment on this ongoing investigation”.

Det Gda Kirwan said gardaí had conducted an “extensive investigation” and officers had followed “many lines of enquires”.

However, he said: “We need more information from members of the public, somebody out there will know something that they haven’t come forward with to the gardaí, yet.”

“There has been huge suffering to Matthew’s family and friends and the local community throughout all these years. We are hoping to give a bit of closure to the family,” added Det Gda Kirwan.

Speaking in 2014, prior to her death in 2015, Mr Carroll’s mother, Teresa Carroll, 85, made a heart-breaking appeal for details of the location of her missing son’s whereabouts.

“I want to be buried with my son. I’ve told Seamus he has to put Matthew’s bones in on top of me, should I go before his body is found,” Teresa carroll told this reporter.

Seamus Carroll concluded: “Somebody out there knows what happened or saw what happened, and at this stage all we want is closure, it’s not about justice any more, closure is all I want, just someone to tell us where he is.”

Anyone with information can contact gardaí at Roxboro Road, Limerick, on 061-214342 or via the Garda Confidential Line 1800-666-111.