Cracking Crime
RTÉ One – Tuesday, 19th July at 9.30pm
Series 3 – programme 6
Murder of Mary Kitt – Tuesday 3 June 1980, Galway City by Michael Holohan (25)
On Tuesday 3rd June 1980 the body of Mary Kitt was found in her bedroom, behind her bed, in Galway City. Living alone, Mary was a victim of robbery that led to murder. After speaking to her friend on the Monday night about their arrangements for dinner the following night, Mary went to bed only to be awakened in the early hours of the morning by a young man whom she recognised. The young man was Michael Holohan (25) a neighbour who lived 9 doors away. He had been out drinking heavily with friends and on his way home terrorised a few ‘courting couples’ with a pistol. He then headed back to his home and decided he wanted money – he knew Mary Kitt lived on her own so he broke in through the bathroom window.
Awaking Mary, he asked for money and she directed him to the kitchen where he took money from her purse. He then took a knife and stabbed her, hit her on the head with a glass ashtray and strangled her. Due to police investigation, forensics and pathology Michael Holohan was caught because he left his fingerprints on the bathroom window pane and fibres from his clothing on Mary Kitt’s night wear. Holohan also had a criminal track record, having knocked down a couple in Galway in a stolen car, indecently assaulting a young French exchange student and assaulting a 25 year old woman. He was therefore a likely suspect for such a crime. Michael Holohan was arrested 2 days later and he pleaded guilty to murder – he is still in custody 25 years later.
SERIES BACKGROUND
Cracking Crime, the third series in this documentary strand, is based on high profile contemporary Irish murders, made with the co-operation of the Gardai, the Irish Forensic Science Laboratory and the State Pathologist’s Office.
This in-depth six part series of half-hour documentaries incorporates dramatic reconstruction, expert witnesses, crime scene material, and news footage. Cracking Crime includes interviews with the bereaved families and friends of the murder victims, allowing this series to investigate the human stories behind the crimes, as well as the science used to solve them.