Family of murdered Irish dad-of-three Michael McCoy appeal for information

The family of an Irish dad murdered in the Dublin Mountains have made a heartbreaking appeal for information ahead of the first anniversary of his death.

Michael McCoy, 64, was brutally attacked while he was out walking his two boxer dogs in the Dublin Mountains on September 29 last year. The dad-of-three's body was found near his home in Ballinascorney, Brittas, Co Dublin the following day. Michael's devastated family have issued an appeal for information ahead of the first anniversary of his death. His eldest daughter Rachel urged the public not to "protect" his killer, as she told of the effect the tragedy has had on the family. She said on Crimecall:

“He’ll never be a granddad. And that’s not fair. "So if someone knows something just tell...don’t protect someone.”

Michael McCoy            (photo via RTE/Crimecall)

His heartbroken wife Caitriona and their daughter Suzanne recalled how they went looking for Michael after he didn't come home with the dogs at tea time. Michael's devastated wife told the RTE programme:

“In hindsight you’d notice things were a little bit, not quite right… the post hadn’t been brought in and the hens hadn’t been let out.. I didn’t think too much of it.”

Suzanne added:

"We drove up the usual place where Dad walked to see if his car was there. “We were worried he might have had an accident or something that he’d fallen over… "He wasn’t there and my mum was getting more nervous...then we went home and called the Guards.”

The Dublin Wicklow Mountain Rescue team were called in by the gardai to assist with the search of Ballinascorney Woods. Rescue teams searched the forest and various pathways as they searched for Michael, but his family started to fear the worst as the hours went on. Suzanne told how the search and rescue teams and gardai returned early in the morning to reveal the heartbreaking news.

Caitriona McCoy                      (photo via RTE/Crimecall)

She said:

“They came back at six in the morning to say that they’d found him, and he was dead.”

Michael and Caitriona's youngest daughter, Sarah, was living in New York at the time - and recalled her shock at hearing the news. She said:

 “The knowing how it happened is something you probably just try to come to terms with later. "Because you’re just so in shock so I don’t think you can really comprehend at the start.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact Crimecall on 1800 40 50 60 or Tallaght Garda Station on (01) 666 6000.