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Lismore Road in Crumlin. Google Street View

Three decades on, 15-year-old Gerard Morgan's murderer has never been punished

The teenager was shot dead at the front door of his family home in 1982.

JUST TWO MONTHS after his 15th birthday, Gerard Morgan from Crumlin in Dublin was gunned down at the front door of his home.

That was on 26 May 1982 and now, three decades on, his family have still never seen his killer brought to justice.

Gerard is remembered by family members as a bubbly, caring and helpful teenager with big hopes for himself in his life.

The night he was killed, he was at his home on Lismore Road in Crumlin with his parents watching television. They went to bed just after midnight and at 1.30am there was a knock at the door.

Gerard went to open it and a gunman shot him twice point blank.

The 15 year old died in his parents’ arms.

It is believed his home was targeted in a row over money from a recent cash van robbery which had gone missing, though the teenager was never involved in the heist.

Gerard’s murderer was hidden by people who knew him and got out of the country shortly after the shooting.

A year later, a man called Patrick Conroy was jailed for helping to provide shelter to the killer. He did not contest the charges and received a seven year sentence for accessory after the fact of murder.

Just last year Conroy, who is a taxi driver in Dublin, was successful in his court application to keep his licence. New legislation dictates taxi drivers with serious criminal convictions can be taken off the road but the judge in Conroy’s case decided he had paid for his crime and noted he had not come to garda attention since his licence was granted 11 years ago.

A source close to the family said the boy’s mother, who is in her mid 80s now, is still hoping the “cowardly, spineless, gutless man who did this to a defenceless child” is caught.

Gardaí say the case is still open and they would appeal to anyone who knows anything to come forward.

The family hope now that time has passed that people who were living in the area who know the killer and have information about the murder would be more willing to go to gardaí.

His father died not knowing why his child was killed and he’d had to hold him in the hall while he was dying.

“How do you deal with it? You just never forget,” they said.

Read: Gavin McCarthy’s murderer has never been brought to justice>

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5 Comments
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    Mute Janet Coyle
    Favourite Janet Coyle
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    Aug 16th 2015, 2:37 PM

    God Rest Him and Condolences to his family and friends it must be so hard for them when it’s so far away x

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    Mute Carmel Roselli- O'Keeffe
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    Aug 16th 2015, 10:03 PM

    Govan was an amazing talented footballer and chess-player from Portmarnock. The nicest and most humble family you could meet. Thoughts with his family-how terribly tragic and unfair. RIP

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    Mute Jim Kearney
    Favourite Jim Kearney
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    Aug 17th 2015, 9:20 AM

    Heard he was 1 in a Million. it’s always the good 1s.

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    Mute Cupid Stunt
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    Aug 16th 2015, 4:33 PM

    poor guy, dying miles away from home,I hope his family get any help they need to get him back.

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    Mute fuve
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    Aug 16th 2015, 6:24 PM

    Highly doubtful they will get any support at all. My little brother died in Australia suddenly and not one person gave my family any support from Ireland or Australia. The only helpful ones were the gardai from blessington station proper gents. They had to tell my mam. Irish embassy no help police in Australia proper gents and also helped her. She couldn’t fly over either because was the week of the volcano eruption in Iceland
    Airlines helped so much to trying to get her on flight. Cost my mam thousands to get my brother flown home. Not one Irish politician got in contact to offer assistance or condolences. Rest in peace poor lad deepest condolences to his family x

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    Mute John Payne
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    Aug 16th 2015, 9:22 PM

    Doesn’t surprise me in the slightest to be honest. By stating they are providing assistance, what they generally mean is that they have directed the relatives or concerned person towards the nearest embassy that Ireland has an agreement with, and that is as good as useless, from experience.

    Fact is, our passport is great when you travel, but shite when you need the government’s help (certain, well-known, exceptions noted). The U.S. Passport, and holder, while targeted in many places, is assured assistance throughout the world, albeit at a cost of paying taxes wherever you work….

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    Mute Janet Coyle
    Favourite Janet Coyle
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    Aug 16th 2015, 8:58 PM

    Sorry to hear about your brother and shocking to hear the very little assistance you got at such a tragic and hard time x

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    Mute fuve
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    Aug 16th 2015, 10:50 PM

    Thanks Janet x if wasn’t for the decency of police on both sides and tireless efforts in helping our family I dread to think what would have happened. I hope this family get the assistance they need.

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    Mute Diana Moynihan
    Favourite Diana Moynihan
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    Aug 18th 2015, 7:59 AM

    Every parent’s worst nightmare, hope they find comfort in the fact that he was so happy travelling. It’s heartbreaking that he won’t get to tell them all about his adventure. Rest in Peace, sounds like you were one amazing guy

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