Latest news with #MikeGaine
Irish Times
23-06-2025
- Irish Times
Michael Gaine murder: Gardaí visit Michael Kelley's ex-partner in Maine
Gardaí investigating the murder of Kerry farmer Mike Gaine travelled to the United States last weekend to speak with the former partner of a man arrested about the killing. Investigators visited Waldo County in the northeastern state of Maine where Michael Kelley, the man detained and questioned last month over Mr Gaine's murder, lived before he moved to Ireland. Mr Kelley's former partner Alicia Snow said she met investigators on Saturday and that they were looking for any clues to explain what might have happened to Mr Gaine. A Garda source confirmed a detective had travelled to the US as part of the investigation to seek a statement from Ms Snow. READ MORE The Garda Press Office declined to comment on the visit. 'An Garda Síochána does not comment on, confirm or deny queries on specific operational details of ongoing criminal investigations.' A native of Maine, Mr Kelley lived and worked on Mr Gaine's farm near Kenmare, and has denied any involvement in his murder. Mr Gaine was last seen alive on March 20th. His partial remains were discovered on his land on May 17th. Michael Kelley lived and worked on Michael Gaine's farm near Kenmare, and has denied any involvement in his murder. Photograph: Barry Roche [ Who is Michael Kelley, the man questioned over the murder of Michael Gaine? Opens in new window ] Mr Kelley was arrested on May 18th on suspicion of murder and was released without charge 24 hours later. Mr Kelley, a musician, has claimed in media interviews that he is being framed for the murder by people involved in 'organised crime'. He is now living in Tralee, where he can be seen regularly busking on the streets. [ American man questioned in Michael Gaine murder inquiry addresses his Garda complaint Opens in new window ] Ms Snow, who was Mr Kelley's partner for three years and has two children with him, has fond memories of their time together living simply in a yurt on his mother's farm in the small town of Swanville in Maine. She said Mr Kelley did a variety of jobs over the years. He installed ductwork for heating and cooling systems, and worked as a farmhand on a neighbour's dairy farm, as a breakfast cook and as a butcher in a small country grocery store. In 2001, the couple had a commitment ceremony on the farm in Swanville with a group of family and friends. Ms Snow grew the flowers for the ceremony, a bagpiper played and Mr Kelley wore a kilt, she said. She described Mr Kelley as 'strong, capable, hardworking, sober homesteader' who played the Uilleann pipes and a bagpipe. Ms Snow said he was 'funny and smart and responsible and cooked well, and worked real hard like an Irish farm boy'. Their relationship subsequently broke down and they separated in 2001. After their separation, Ms Snow earned a nursing degree and began working as a nurse. Mr Kelley claimed in an interview with The Irish Times earlier this month that he had been threatened by the Ku Klux Klan in Maine because he was a Catholic and it was anti-Catholic. He claimed they poisoned and killed his dog near his home outside Swanville and, fearing for his life, he moved to Ireland. After his separation from Ms Snow, Mr Kelley brought a legal action seeking right of access to their children, who were living with her. Court papers from the legal case in Maine in 2009 show that Mr Kelley accused Ms Snow of witchcraft, and of casting spells on her children. The courts sided with Ms Snow, who was granted full custody of their children. [ Michael Gaine funeral hears of 'idyllic' community struck by 'something terrible' Opens in new window ] The judge in the case, in which Mr Kelley represented himself, concluded that Mr Kelley's ability to determine fact from fiction was 'questionable'. Ms Snow said the latest time she spoke to Mr Kelley was about 10 years ago. She said he went to Arizona about seven years ago to visit his father, who bought him a one-way ticket to Ireland.
RTÉ News
07-06-2025
- RTÉ News
Mourners gather in Kenmare for Michael Gaine's funeral
The funeral of 56-year year old sheep farmer Michael 'Mike' Gaine is taking place, 11 weeks after he went missing from his farm in Kenmare, Co Kerry. Human tissue found at Mr Gaine's farm was later confirmed by gardaí to belong to Mr Gaine. His death is being treated as murder. Mike Gaine's disappearance was initially treated as a missing person's case before it was re-classified by gardaí on 29 April when a criminal investigation began. Human tissue found in fields and in the farmyard at Mr Gaine's farm on 16 May was later confirmed to be his. On 19 May, gardaí arrested and questioned a man in his 50s on suspicion of Mr Gaine's murder. The man was released without charge, after he had spent 24 hours in garda custody. Former US soldier Michael Kelley, who had been living on Mr Gaine's farm for almost three years before he moved to Tralee in April, identified himself in an interview with RTÉ News as the man who had been arrested. Mr Kelley has denied any involvement in Mr Gaine's murder. He claims he is being framed by a subversive criminal organisation. Mr Gaine farmed a 1,000-acre holding on the scenic Ring of Kerry, between Kenmare and Moll's Gap. He was well known in the farming community as well as in car rallying circles. His remains have been cremated, and his funeral will take place with requiem mass at Holy Cross Church in Kenmare. Mike Gaine's wife Janice and his sisters, Noreen and Catherine, have thanked people for their support and understanding in what they have described as this extremely difficult time. They say they have chosen Mr Gaine's final resting place to be private. Yesterday, hundreds of people gathered to pay their respects to Mr Gaine's family. Many of his friends from the rallying community spent the week restoring his Ford Escort Mark II rally car. They put an engine in it and have made it roadworthy. The car was among a number of rally cars parked outside Finnegan's Funeral Home in Kenmare.
Sunday World
06-06-2025
- Sunday World
Hundreds of mourners pay respects to murdered farmer Mike Gaine ahead of funeral
Mr Gaine was cremated earlier this week, with his ashes reposing between 2pm and 7pm at Finnegan's funeral parlour Mourners at the removal of Mike Gaine in Kenmare, County Kerry on Friday. Photo: Don MacMonagle Hundreds of mourners turned out to pay their respects to murdered farmer Mike Gaine as his ashes lay reposing in Kenmare town today. Mr Gaine was cremated earlier this week, with his ashes reposing between 2pm and 7pm at Finnegan's funeral parlour. Queues of mourners, waiting to pay their respects to the 56-year-old farmer, began forming at 1.30pm. The late Mike Gaine The line eventually stretched back to the town centre, with mourners standing in the rain as they waited. Mr Gaine's wife Janice was driven to the door of the funeral home shortly before 2pm. She was led in through the door under a sea of umbrellas. Also there to greet mourners were Mr Gaine's two sisters, Catherine and Noreen and other extended family members. Tributes to Mr Gaine included a photo display depicting him in him in his rally car racing days, as well as photos of him with farm machinery and socialising with friends. Mourners at the removal of Mike Gaine in Kenmare, County Kerry on Friday. Photo: Don MacMonagle News in 90 Seconds - 6th June 2025 Outside the funeral home, in a nod to Mr Gaine's love of farming, was a red Fiat Tractor. Five rallycars, including Ford Escort MK2 the farmer used to compete in, were lined up in a nearby car park. A group of Mr Gaine's close friends at Killarney and District Motor Club (KDMC) spent last week restoring his old car ahead of his funeral tomorrow. The car will lead a procession around the town after the service as Mr Gaine's ashes are taken to their final resting place. Among the more well-known faces at the funeral home today were Sports pundit Pat Spillane and Kerry TD Danny Healy-Rae. Mr Gaine's funeral mass will take place tomorrow at 10.30am in Holy Cross Church in Kenmare, according to a notice on His funeral mass will be livestreamed. Afterwards, Mr Gaine's rally car, carrying his ashes, will do a lap of honour around Kenmare town. Rally car divers from all over Ireland are expected to travel to the Kerry town to join in the procession. The notice said Mr Gaine, who went missing from his farm on March 20, will be sadly missed and fondly remembered by his heartbroken family members and friends in the farming and rallying communities. His final resting place is to be kept private. Mr Gaine's family has asked for family flowers only, with donations in lieu of flowers to Kerry Mountain Rescue and SARDA (Search and Rescue Dog Association). Both these organisations played a significant role in the search for Mr Gaine after he was first reported missing on March 21. The family thanked the public for their "support and understanding at this extremely difficult time". An extensive search for the Kerry farmer took place over eight weeks. The case was officially upgraded to from a missing persons probe to homicide just over a month ago. Mr Gaine's partial remains were found almost two weeks ago when his nephew and close friend were spreading slurry. DNA confirmed the partial remains as those of Mr Gaine. The farm was immediately closed off and declared a crime scene. Specialised garda units and the Defence Forces have spent the past two weeks on the farm just outside Kenmare searching for evidence in the ongoing murder investigation. A man was arrested and later released without charge in the case.
RTÉ News
06-06-2025
- RTÉ News
Crowds turn out in Kenmare to pay respects to Gaine family
Hundreds of people have been gathering in Kenmare, Co Kerry, to pay their respects to the family of Mike Gaine. The 56-year-old sheep farmer went missing from his farm 6km north of the town on 20 March. Eight weeks later, remains found on his land were subsequently confirmed by gardaí to be human tissue which belonged to him. More human tissue was found during a search of his farmyard and adjoining fields in the days that followed. The garda investigation into Mike Gaine's disappearance was initially treated as a missing person's case. However, on 30 April gardaí announced that the investigation had been reclassified. His death is now being treated as murder. On 19 May, gardaí arrested and questioned a man in his 50s on suspicion of Mr Gaine's murder. The man was released without charge, after he had spent 24 hours in garda custody. Former US soldier Michael Kelley, who had been living on Mr Gaine's farm for almost three years before he moved to Tralee in April, identified himself in an interview with RTÉ News as the man who had been arrested. Mr Kelley has denied any involvement in Mr Gaine's murder. He claims he is being framed by a subversive criminal organisation. Mr Gaine farmed a 1,000-acre holding on the scenic Ring of Kerry, between Kenmare and Moll's Gap. He was well known in the farming community as well as in car rallying circles. He was a former participant in the Rally of the Lakes in Killarney and was a member of Killarney and District Motor Club. Many of his friends from rallying spent the week restoring his Ford Escort Mark II rally car. They put an engine in it and have made it roadworthy. The car is among a number of rally cars parked outside Finnegan's Funeral Home in Kenmare. Mike Gaine's Fiat tractor is also parked close by, symbolising his love of farming. Mourners passed both as they gathered to sympathise this evening with Mr Gaine's wife, Janice, his sisters, Noreen and Catherine, and with other family members. Mr Gaine's funeral mass will take place at Holy Cross Church in Kenmare tomorrow morning, after which an urn containing his ashes will be placed in his rally car and driven in a procession around the town. His family say the resting place for his ashes will be kept private. Fiosrú, the Office of the Police Ombudsman, has said it cannot comment on reports that Michael Kelley made a formal complaint to the ombudsman about his treatment by gardaí. Fiosrú was formerly know as GSOC. It is the independent statutory office dealing with complaints about gardaí. In a statement, Fiosrú said it could not comment on the reports. "Fiosrú does not confirm or deny the existence of complaints made by or against individuals," a spokesman said. "This is to protect the investigative process and the rights both of complainants, and those complained against. Fiosrú is not in a position to comment further."
Sunday World
01-06-2025
- Sunday World
Funeral arrangements announced for Kerry farmer Mike Gaine
Funeral arrangements have now been published for the Mr Gaine, who it is now believed was murdered on his farm in Kerry The community in Kenmare will gather later this week to say their final farewell to the hugely popular Kerry farmer Mike Gaine. Funeral arrangements have now been published for the Mr Gaine, who it is now believed was murdered on his farm in Kerry. His remains were found in recent weeks and following the conclusion of the post mortem his body has now been returned to his family to allow them to bury the beloved husband, brother and uncle. Condolences have been pouring since the funeral arrangements were released this morning with many offering their support tot he family at this difficult time and remembering Mike as the wonderful man he was. 'Michael's presence, his light, and the way he touched those around him will never be forgotten,' said one online tribute. " Another stated that they hoped the funeral will bring closure to the family after a very difficult three months. Mr Gaine will repose at Finnegan's Funeral Home in Kenmare next Friday, June 6 from 2pm with Rosary at 7pm. His funeral mass will take place at Holy Cross Church in Kenmare at 10.30am on Saturday, June 7. He will arrive at the church at 9.30am. His final resting place is to be kept private. Mr Gaine is sadly missed by his wife Janice and sisters Noreen and Catherine as well as nieces Emma and Rachael and nephews Jamie and Mark and brother-in-law Sean. He is also missed by his aunt Noreen and by his many friends including DJ and Shane as well as his loyal friends. in the farming and rallying community, his death notice reads. The late Mike Gaine News in 90 Seconds - June 1st The family have asked for family flowers only with donations in lieu of flowers to Kerry Mountain Rescue and SARDA (Search and Rescue Dog Association). Both these charities played a significant role in the search for Mr Gaine after he was first reported missing on March 21. An extensive search took place over six weeks involving not only a huge community effort but also many searches agencies but no trace of the farmer was found. The missing person's case was officially upgraded to homicide just over a month ago. Tragically his partial remains were found almost two weeks ago when his nephew and close friend were spreading slurry. Forensics later confirmed the partial remains as those of Mr Gaine. The farm was immediately closed off and declared a crime scene. Specialised garda units and the Defence Forces have spent the past two weeks on the farm just outside Kenmare searching for evidence in the ongoing murder investigation. A man was arrested and released without charge in the case. A huge crowd is expected to attend his funeral given the high-esteem he was held in the community and the tragedy of his death.
