Unsolved Irish Mysteries.

All those digs are just garda PR, to be seen to do something and in case there's another Satchwell in the cupboard

The house will be restored. It had to be established that there was nothing there. Very stressful for the owners though. Also for the suspect, whether or not he was involved. Though not charged with any offence his identity is now in the public domain. Mud sticks. No closure for Annie's mother. No winners here at all

Exactly

They wouldn't have been damned for not conducting an invasive search that was clearly a shot in the dark. They've wasted so much money on this search that other policing will be impacted. This operation easily cost more than €500k. Strictly speaking the homeowners aren't entitled to compensation either.

There will need to be better grounds for invasive searches other than the suspect lived there in future. I don't know how anyone can defend the guards here, it's been a **** show from the start.

A warrant for such an invasive search would not be issued for a "shot in the dark"

Their release post search stated that "nothing of evidential value was found". Of course that could be tactical misdirection (to what end I can't say), but we have to take it at face value.

And we do know what prompted the search. Someone withdrew their statement that weakened the individuals alibi. Given the history of their relationship and that their criminologist says bodies tend to be hidden in locations familiar to the perpetrator that seems to be the grounds for the search (so far as we know).

It would be a bad look if the State had to pay something like a million euro to fix up some drug lords mansion after a search so the policy has been that they do not pay and are not legally liable to pay. It's assessed on case by case basis. If this weren't the case, evidence could be hidden by making a search too expensive.

In this instance it would go down badly if they didn't fix the house but the homeowners are not legally entitled to repair. They may well have to fight for it.

They won't be compensated for the distress that they've suffered either.

https://www.irishtimes.com/crime-law/2025/06/24/annie-mccarrick-search-at-clondalkin-property-ends-with-nothing-of-evidential-value-found/

They even say here that the search was speculative. What a waste

You are making some unreasonable assumptions imo. If they wanted this to be minimal impact then they would have conducted it before renovations were completed not just after.

Basically they rolled in and wrecked this house at a time of their choosing to suit themselves. And while it may be the case that the homeowner will get monetary compensation to put the damage right, it will undoubtedly be up to the homeowner to organise contractors to do this work.

I'd be absolutely livid if they did this to me on what turned out to be speculative grounds.

If it is purely speculative, and they went about it in a ham-fisted way then I would agree alright. If they didn't fully compensate them either then that would be a kick in the teeth. I guess we don't know for sure just yet so I'll hold judgement for the moment.

Jayzuz- that’s not good.it sounds like they’re just barking up whatever tree they can find at this point. I can understand why, especially given the Satchwell case, they went this route but you’d think they’d have had a bit more evidence before smashing up someone else’s home, who are not connected in any way with this case

Making some assumptions yourself it appears. I would imagine they were very sensitive to new owners and everything was done to suit both interested parties.

It's not too long ago that Gardai searched a number of houses in Drogheda, for evidence in the case of missing Kyran Durnin which could only be called speculative as well, do you think they were a big waste?

So if a search doesn't find anything it's a waste? But if it does, then it's not a waste?

So, if they never do a search for anything ever again, there will be no waste. Good idea 😉

Thats the most sensible and level headed of the posts on this matter so far. Too much Garda bashing in others imo, when we haven't a clue what the Guards actually know.

Once they got the information that we do know of regarding the non alibi of someone, that had the best motive of doing harm against Annie, they had to act on it.

Of course it has been very disruptive for the current owners but once there was the faintest possibility of a body hidden at the house I agree that they will rest easier now in their home knowing it isn't a burial site. And they themselves would have wanted that determined, however invasive.

I would go further and hope that the Guards, with the cadaver dogs in tow, visit as many other properties as possible that the suspect had access to back in 1993. What's too lose, bar incurring the wrath of the" I told you so's", that would never say a good thing about the Guards anyway.

Unfortunately Annie may have ended up buried in the Dublin mountains after all, not because of LM, but by someone close to her. A suspect deflected from proper investigation from the start, probably because of some stupid "boys honour" type, dodgy alibi.

You don't know what they have based their searches on, judges don't give out search warrants without evidence.

According to you, no negative searches should ever have been carried out.