Mary Boyle
By Irish Echo Staff
For almost forty years, Ireland has been haunted by the mystery of a little girl who vanished on her grandparents' remote farm in Donegal.
Mary Boyle, who was born in Birmingham, England, was six years old when she disappeared without trace after a family dinner in 1977.
Mary's remains have never been found.
Through the years, the police and many crime reporters have promoted the theory that Mary, known as Ireland's Madeleine McCann, was abducted by a stranger.
But a new documentary, written and directed by investigative journalist Gemma O'Doherty, has turned that theory on its head with claims that the schoolgirl was murdered by someone she knew.
“Mary Boyle - The Untold Story” has been viewed a quarter of a million times on YouTube since its release in July and has generated a justice campaign in Ireland.
The documentary has also led to the launch of a new Garda investigation amid allegations of police malpractice, corruption and cover-up in the first probe.
The film carries exclusive interviews with some of the first officers on the scene who say the person they believe to be the killer has never been arrested, despite compelling evidence against him.
They also claim Mary was raped before her death.
And they make disturbing allegations that a politician contacted the local Garda station in the days after the child's disappearance and ensured that the chief suspect - a member of his party - not be arrested.
The Garda officers are supported in their beliefs by Mary's identical twin sister, Ann Doherty, who has been alienated from her family because of her stance.
She believes her sister's rapist and killer has been shielded for four decades as a result of political interference in the case.
In March, 2016, Ann Doherty and Gemma O'Doherty visited Capitol Hill to raise the Mary Boyle case with Irish-American politicians.
This Thursday, February 2, the documentary will be screened at 7 p.m. at the New York Irish Center in Long Island City, Queens.
The center is located at 1040 Jackson Avenue, one stop on the Number 7 train out of Grand Central in Manhattan.
The screening will be followed by a talk by Gemma O'Doherty.
O'Doherty is an award-winning investigative journalist whose work has led to the reopening of a number of unsolved murders in Ireland over the years, including that of Fr. Niall Molloy in 1985.
O’Doherty’s stories about the Irish criminal justice system are frequently cited by Irish politicians in the Dáil and Senate.
She is also a vocal advocate for press freedom.
