The alley where Raonaid Murray was murdered

Crime Scene Location Glenageary, Dublin

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This is the alley where Raonaid Murray was killed.

It is on Silchester Road in Glenageary, Dublin.

Her unsolved murder remains one of Ireland's most infamous cold cases.

Raonaid Murray. — Murray was 17 at the time or her murder. She had finished her Leaving Certificate examinations at St. Joseph of Cluny Secondary School two months prior.

Events

Murray worked part-time at a Sally West, a fashion boutique in the Dún Laoghaire Shopping Centre.

She left work at 9 p.m. on Saturday, September 4, 1999, and spent two hours drinking with friends at Scott's pub in Dún Laoghaire.

This was the last place she was seen alive.

Scott's pub on Upper George's Street. — Scott's pub was at 17 Upper George's Street. It has since been renamed The Two Foxes.
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Murray left the pub at approximately 11:20 p.m. to walk to her house in Silchester Park. She intended to freshen up before meeting friends at a popular nightclub called Paparazzi.

The entrance to the former Paparazzi nightclub. — Paparazzi was on Marine Road, just around the corner from Upper George's Street.
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The 1.5-km (0.9-mile) route between the pub and her house takes 15 to 20 minutes on foot. However, it took Murray roughly 40 minutes to reach the lane that night. This discrepancy leaves a significant 25-minute segment of her journey that remains unaccounted for.

Map showing three routes between the pub and alley. — This map shows the most likely routes Murray could have taken. Although the shortest route is highlighted in blue, it is unclear which path she took. The other two routes in gray are roughly the same length.

During this window, a witness reported seeing a girl resembling Murray arguing with a man with a "Noel Gallagher-style" haircut. The sighting reportedly occurred at 11:53 p.m. at the top of Corrig Avenue, near the junction with Corrig Road, approximately 30 minutes after the teenager left Scott's pub.

Corrig Avenue on Google Street View. This location is along one of the possible routes the teenager might have taken that night.
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During her journey home, she walked along Silchester Road and turned right into the northern entrance of the lane. It is unknown whether she was alone or accompanied by someone.

The attack

The Gardaí (Irish police) believe she argued with someone in the pedestrian walkway around midnight. A group of friends in a nearby garden recalled hearing a woman shouting "go away" and "f*ck off." They heard her scream not long after.

Murray's route into the alley. — Known locally as "The Cut," the alley was a short distance from Murray's home in Silchester Crescent.

The attacker stabbed Murray multiple times before she collapsed and died from blood loss. Although the murder weapon was never found, forensic analysis determined it was wide, non-serrated, and "not very sharp-edged."

The coroner concluded that the primary cause of death was a stab wound to the left armpit that severed an artery and the axillary vein. Murray also sustained stab wounds to her abdomen, chest, and right forearm.

Her overcoat had multiple knife slits, but the position of the tears and the absence of blood on the fabric indicated she was not wearing it during the attack. Detectives presumed she was carrying the coat home and had tried to use it as a shield.

Aerial image showing where Murray was attacked and where she collapsed. — An aerial image of the walkway. The lane is roughly 90 meters long and sheltered by trees.

The stabbing occurred in the middle of the walkway. After the attack, the killer turned and fled north toward the entrance at Silchester Road.

Murray staggered southward and collapsed near the entrance to Silchester Crescent. Her sister Sarah discovered her body roughly 30 minutes later while returning home from a night out with friends.

The southern entrance on Silchester Crescent. Credit: Google Maps. 2014. The lane consists of a paved path with grassy verges on either side.

Investigation

The motive for the murder has never been established. Murray was not sexually assaulted, and none of her personal belongings were stolen. This led investigators to believe the teenager knew her attacker.

A Garda standing at the crime scene while a young girl watches on. — A member of An Garda Síochána standing at the entrance to the crime scene.

Detectives originally suspected a man with "Oasis-style hair" and released sketches of the suspect based on two separate sightings that occurred roughly five weeks apart.

Two sketches of the suspect. — Two artist's impressions of the initial suspect with "Oasis-style hair."

Although this man remained a primary focus for years, a 2023 article in The Sunday Times by John Mooney reported that detectives had located and ruled him out.

The Gardaí also investigated a possible link between convicted murderer Graham Dwyer and the killing. This line of inquiry began after text messages on a phone showed that he had referenced Murray's name.

When Dwyer's victim, Elaine O'Hara, sent him a message expressing doubt that he could get away with murder, he replied:

"I will. No one [was] ever caught for Raonaid Murray or [the] homeless woman in Phoenix Park."

Although the sketch bore a resemblance to Dwyer and he was reportedly living in the area at the time, DNA evidence ruled him out.

Investigators recently favored the theory that a woman committed the crime. Female DNA was found underneath Murray's fingernails, and witnesses spotted a young woman between the ages of 16 and 23 near the crime scene. Detectives also believed the lack of force used in the killing pointed toward a woman, as many of the knife thrusts failed to penetrate the victim's clothes.

A cold case review highlighted a woman whom Murray had stopped contacting due to an earlier disagreement. However, she was later ruled out.

Despite over 4,500 witness statements and at least 13 arrests, Murray's killer has never been identified.

Her case remains unsolved.