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MICHAEL VEALE HAS been living on the streets of Cork for the past 13 years.
This week his tent and only possessions were set on fire by a gang of teenagers.
Speaking to the Neil Prendeville Show on Red FM, Veale said the teens knew he was homeless as he was speaking to them beforehand:
“The whole tent and all my blankets and all that went up in flames…my clothes and runners.
“I hope their mothers are proud of them, they should be ashamed of themselves. They knew I was homeless, I was talking to them before I went to the shop.”
Speaking to TV3 Veale said, “I walked down to the shop to buy a paper and when I came back up the place was a blaze.
I had to walk away in disgust when the fire brigade came. Thankfully nobody was hurt anyway, that’s the main thing.
Christina Chalmers from Helping Cork’s Homeless told the Prendeville show that Michael stood up to Trevor Byrne ‘the rapist who put the fear of God into every woman and child in Cork’ and that he ran him out of the place.
Chalmers said, “I had a lot of people saying to me ‘How can we help Michael?’.” So she set up a GoFundMe page for donations.
As a thank you the people of Cork have raised over €2,000 to help get Michael into a rented property and off the streets.
The money will be used to put a deposit on a flat and cover rent for a couple of months. Veale said:
It’s the best thing that has ever happened to me.
“I’m linked into the day centre for work so I’m looking to do a woodwork course.”
Chalmers is now appealing for Cork landlords to give Michael a chance. “We need landlords to come on board to get these people off the streets.”
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Rest in peace a wonderful woman and an amazing sister to JoJo
Someone knows something about this case , murderers talk , whether you are a friend or partner , someone will have spoken about it .
If you think you are protecting someone , you’re not .
You only perpetuate grief .
@Nek nedyah:
I don’t think you have to look much further than Larry Murphy. Just don’t have the evidence to prosecute.
@Nick Allen: I agree with you 100%
@Nick Allen: I don’t know much about this story , I’ll look into it .
But there seems to be a consensus that “someone” is responsible .
@Nek nedyah:
He is a convicted rapist and was proven to be in the area at the time. Have a google about him, also Rte had a program on him and his link to the 3 girls that went missing in the area which gave a very convincing argument.
@Nick Allen: It is more than being a convicted rapist, it was the manner of it. He abducted a woman, brought her to a forest, raped her and attempted to murder her. Local hunters or farmers inturrupted by chance and he ran. Went home, had sex with his wife as if nothing happened and waited for the Gards as he had been recognised.
@Paul P O’Sullivan:
Absolutely, it’s a surprise he was not convicted. He got out of jail about 3 years ago and was followed by the Gardai our to Malahide where he went for a walk on the beach and i believe he went to Amsterdam after that
@Nick Allen: yeh agreed…. Its all to coincidental….
@Nick Allen: I remember watching a documentary on Tv called “Ireland’s missing women”. They said on it the years that Larry Murphy was in prison any woman that went missing was found alive. It’s was the years before he was caught that women went missing and never found.
@Nick Allen: They know but he covered his tracks too well the odds are shes in Dublin mountains buried where he was caught killing his Carlow victim.Moone was right on his stomping ground in the 90,s
May she finally be at Rest now such a brave woman.
RIP.
A real pity she didn’t find the truth before she passed away herself.She lived her life looking for it.R.I.P
Well done. Sleep well.
Please god Jo Jo’s memory will not be forgotten and that the cold case team will find the person or persons who done this. Surely someone out there knows something no matter how small. May Mary rest in peace. Sad.
The family believed that the killer was protected due to strong political connections. Similar to the Mary Boyle case in Donegal where they are almost certain they know who the killer is.
@Jimmy Ryan Rises: This is the problem in Ireland , it’s not religion , it’s the bully culture .
Perhaps we need another civil war .
@Nek nedyah: A woman has died and you feel it is appropriate to use her sad story to advocate for a “civil war”. I am rarely shocked by the dangerous stupidity and hate filled bile on display on this site but you sir take the proverbial biscuit.
@Larry Doyle: Maybe it would suit you better to look into who knew what about this case…
Anyway, RIP the poor woman, her life must have been hell.
@Jimmy Ryan Rises: yes and the same as Bernadette Connolly in Sligo whose anniversary was this week, while her body was found in 1970….. The Guards were told to drop persuing the case as the chief suspect was a member of the local religious community….. Sadly all the witnesses and their suspects are now dead, but no closure to the family.
Poor lady,very sad,rest in peace
So so sad. How can the person responsible sleep at night???
Who knows where anyone goes when they pass away, can only hope she’s reunited with her sister and justice will be done some day. RIP
RIP. She knows now what happened and hopefully the two of them are together.
So sorry to hear this news, may she rest in peace.
Very sad that she never got closure after so many many years of searching for the truth. RIP
Hope she’s finally reunited with her sister. RIP
@Bobby Byrne: how could she be reunited with Jo Jo?
@Bobby Byrne: I hope they are
RIP to a remarkable woman, very sad that she never got closure for her sisters disappearance.
Very sad news.
I Hope the Angel’s or whoever is out there give you rest Mary…. I’d say the stress and worry of Jo Jo been missing all these years finally killed her…
May she rest in peace. And perhaps get the answers she sought for so long.
A fantastic woman who never stopped searching for answers. One of the bravest women of our time to carry that suffering. May she rest in peace.
I hope she’s with her in hevan
The poor woman. Never found answers but dedicated her whole life to doing so.
May she rest in peace.
Rest In Peace Mary Phelan . You did your best . JoJo would be very proud of what you did for her . God Bless .
Is it not Dollard?
@Sandra Creevey: no, it’s Dullard.
@Sandra Creevey: Is it not Creevy?
Its amazing that since mr murphys release, no one has picked him up for a “chat” in a secluded area so as to gain some clarity on his movements at that time. A method used frequently in the north by a certain group back in the day.
This poor soul died after giving 20 years of her life trying to find her sister. She never gave up hope. She is a true inspiration of self sacrific,her life shatterered to pieces after jo jos disappearance. I’m not overly religious but I hope to god she finds the peace she so rightly deserves after so long campaigning and finds her beloved jo jo
Poor soul after giving 20 years of her live looking for her beloved jo jo.hope she finds the peace she so rightly deserves
Yes so so sad for Mary. RIP
We know who you are there in moone. May you NEVER Rest In Peace.
This poor soul died after giving 20 years of her life tirelessly campaging for her beloveved sisters disappearance.she is a True inspiration for everyone. I hope to god she finds the peace she so rightly deserves and finds her jo jo
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