The family of a woman murdered 36 years ago say they’ve been given fresh hope after Annie McCarrick’s case was upgraded to murder.
Antoinette Smith’s killer has never been caught but her daughter Lisa said developments in other cold cases could help crack the unsolved murder.
Lisa was just seven when her mum was slaughtered and dumped on a bog road as she made her way home from a David Bowie concert in Slane on July 11, 1987.
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She told the Irish Sunday Mirror: “When I saw the Annie McCarrick case being upgraded to murder it gave me hope.
“Someone has obviously come forward with new information on it and I can only hope the same happens with my mam’s case.
“Annie’s family are still waiting for that knock on the door.
“We were in limbo for nine months, but we were in a way one of the lucky ones because we have a grave to go to.
“We are lucky that we got her back despite the horrific circumstances.
“I hope that someone will come forward now with further information about my mam’s murder. I’m hopeful of that.”
Antoinette, or Angie as she was known to family and friends, was last seen at around 2.30am on O’Connell Street in Dublin city centre.
She went to the La Mirage nightclub on Parnell Street after the Slane gig and left at around 2.15am wearing a David Bowie T-shirt.
The body of the 27-year-old, from Clondalkin, South Dublin, was found dumped in a drain at Glendoo Mountain, outside Enniskerry in Co Wicklow, almost a year later on April 3, 1988.
Speaking ahead of the dreaded anniversary of when her mum’s body was found, Lisa added: “Someone knows something.
“Relationships break down within families, friendships, so someone knows and has a guilty conscience. I don’t care if it’s a death bed confession. I know it’s been 36 years but it’s never too late.”
Lisa said she and her younger sister Rachel have missed out on countless milestones with their mother because they were so young when she was taken from them.
And she revealed that Antoinette’s brutal murder has made her more vigilant on nights out.
She said: “When I’m at home and my door is closed, that’s my safe space.
“I’m certainly more aware of the dangers out there because of what happened to my mam. I’m more aware of my surroundings and people, that’s for sure. If I’m out I’m more wary.”
Heartbroken Lisa said she will never give up fighting for justice for her mother and called on anyone with information to come forward.
She added: “If someone does know what happened to my mam I would appeal to them to come forward and put a grieving family at peace and let her rest in peace.
“We can’t rest until we get justice for her and I will never stop fighting for her.”
She said despite the passage of time the pain of the loss never gets any easier.
Lisa added: “It’s been 36 hard years. You want to share milestones with your parents but we were robbed of that.
“Rachel turns 40 on Saturday. She was just four when mam was murdered. She has limited memories of her.
“The last milestone I had with her was my communion in May and she was gone in July.
“All those milestones throughout the years, you need your mam for.”
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