Gardaí to meet family, acknowledging missed evidence in Liam Farrell case

The family of Liam Farrell, an elderly Leitrim farmer who died under suspicious circumstances in January 2020, is set to meet with Gardaí for a significant discussion on the ongoing investigation. Brendan Farrell, Liam’s son, expressed his anticipation ahead of the meeting, which is scheduled for this Friday, Dec. 13. He confirmed that the Senior Investigating Officer, Peter Conlon, will be conducting a peer review of the case and exploring possible new lines of inquiry. “We have a meeting with the Senior Investigating Officer, Peter Conlon, who was instructed by the Garda Commissioner, Drew Harris, to carry out a peer review with possible new lines of inquiry,” Brendan said. “He will be meeting with us this coming Friday, and he also will visit the scene of where Daddy was attacked, so he'll be visiting the property there.”

In September of this year, the Farrell family hired a private forensic team to investigate their father's death. The team discovered traces of blood in a hay shed on the family property using luminol, which revealed a potential second crime scene that had been missed during the initial Garda investigation.

Upon finding the blood, the private team stopped their work and turned the evidence over to the Gardaí. The following day, Gardaí conducted their own forensic investigation, spending over eight hours at the Farrell home, specifically in the old hay shed. Peter Farrell, Liam’s son, explained, “It basically is a second crime scene that was discovered that was totally missed in the first initial investigation.”

Reflecting on the last five years, Brendan acknowledged the emotional toll it has taken on the family. “I suppose it’s been a traumatic five years, and bear in mind that we could never go public until the day of the inquest,” he explained. “This is something that I feel should have happened a long time ago, but we welcome it, and it’s onwards and upwards now.” Despite the challenges, Brendan emphasized the importance of moving forward. “You know, the past is the past, there were mistakes made there, no doubt, but we are moving forward now positively, and we hope that our meeting will be very fruitful with the Senior Investigating Officer. It’s a big moment in Daddy’s investigation.”

When asked about the involvement of Garda Commissioner Drew Harris, Brendan clarified that the family would meet with him once the peer review is complete. “My understanding would be when the peer review is carried out, that we would be meeting with Drew Harris then, when the findings of the peer review are complete,” he said.

As for the questions they hope to raise, Brendan mentioned that while the family has a long list of concerns, they would wait until after the meeting and the peer review to share them. “We have a multitude of concerns and questions that we have for the Senior Investigating Officer, as we will have for the Commissioner as well,” he shared. “But just for the integrity of the peer review and the current investigation, it would be safer just to keep that under wraps till we get to the end of the peer review.”

Brendan also discussed the upcoming anniversary of his father’s death, calling it a “monumental moment.” With the anniversary mass planned for January 12th, he expressed hope that the meeting with Gardaí will bring them closer to answers. “It’s a monumental moment,” he said. “We’re coming up to the fifth anniversary now on the 12th of January, and we have the anniversary mass in St. Michael's Church, Bornacoola, that will be the day that we found Dad.” 

Brendan remains hopeful that this renewed focus on the investigation, coupled with a recent forensic report, will help uncover the truth. “We’re just hoping that it’ll be a very positive meeting. And it’s all about moving forward,” he added. “So hopefully, you know, that we’re all moving forward in the correct direction to find out the answers of who was there that night and attacked Daddy.”