Ireland Kildare murder killer refused parole 27 years after killing
Joyce Quinn, 44, was stabbed, raped while dead or dying, and stabbed again in the neck by Kenneth O'Reilly on a rainy night in January 1996 on the Curragh in County Kildare after she gave him a lift. O'Reilly had been stalking her in the days before the murder and asked her for a lift, which she agreed to give him. He was arrested a week later and pleaded guilty to murder 20 months after his arrest, receiving a life sentence, but was never charged with the rape. In March 2023, the Parole Board of Ireland refused his fifth parole application, with his husband Ray Quinn making an oral submission under the Parole Act 2019. O'Reilly will be eligible to reapply for parole in two years.
- Reported
- Arrested
- Charged
- In court
- Verdict
- Sentenced
Key facts
consolidated from all reports- What happened
- Joyce Quinn, 44, was stabbed, raped while dead or dying, and stabbed again in the neck by Kenneth O'Reilly.
- O'Reilly had been stalking Quinn in the days before the murder and asked her for a lift, which she agreed to give him.
- Where
- The murder took place on the Curragh in County Kildare.
- When
- The murder occurred on a rainy night in January 1996.
- Investigation
- O'Reilly was arrested a week after the murder.
- Charges
- O'Reilly pleaded guilty to murder 20 months after his arrest but was never charged with the rape.
- Sentence
- O'Reilly was sentenced to life imprisonment.
- In court
- The Parole Board of Ireland refused O'Reilly's fifth parole application in March 2023, 27 years after the murder.
- O'Reilly will be eligible to reapply for parole in two years.
- Other details
- Joyce Quinn was a Milltown resident and would have been 70 if still alive.
- Ray Quinn, Joyce Quinn's husband, made an oral submission to the Parole Board under the Parole Act 2019 and urged people to write to the Garda Superintendent in Kildare town.
22 statements extracted from the articles
- whatJoyce Quinn was 44 when she was murdered (irishtimes.com)
- whatO'Reilly stabbed Joyce Quinn as she stopped the car to let him out (irishtimes.com)
- whatO'Reilly raped Joyce Quinn while she was dead or dying (irishtimes.com)
- whatO'Reilly stabbed Joyce Quinn again in the neck after the rape (irishtimes.com)
- whatJoyce Quinn was raped and murdered by Kenneth O'Reilly (kildarenow.com)
- whatJoyce Quinn was 44 years old at the time of her death (kildarenow.com)
- whatKenneth O'Reilly had asked Joyce Quinn for a lift which she agreed to give him (kildarenow.com)
- whereThe murder took place on the Curragh in County Kildare (irishtimes.com)
- whereThe murder took place on the Curragh (kildarenow.com)
- whenThe murder occurred on a rainy night in January 1996 (irishtimes.com)
- whenThe murder occurred in January 1996 (kildarenow.com)
- chargeO'Reilly was never charged with the rape of Joyce Quinn (irishtimes.com)
- courtO'Reilly waited 20 months before pleading guilty to the murder (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe parole was refused because of the nature and gravity of the offence (irishtimes.com)
- courtO'Reilly will be eligible to reapply for parole in two years (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe Parole Act 2019 allows family members of victims to make oral statements to the board (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe Parole Board of Ireland decided not to grant parole to Kenneth O'Reilly (kildarenow.com)
- sentenceO'Reilly was sentenced to life imprisonment (irishtimes.com)
- otherJoyce Quinn would have been 70 if she was still alive (irishtimes.com)
- otherRay Quinn urged people to write to the Garda Superintendent in Kildare town (kildarenow.com)
- otherThe parole decision would come up again in two years (kildarenow.com)
- otherJoyce Quinn was a Milltown resident (kildarenow.com)
The reporting
newest first- 28 Mar2023Husband of Joyce Quinn urges people with concerns over her murderer to write to Kildare superintendent
Reports on the husband's comments following the Parole Board's decision not to grant parole to Kenneth O'Reilly, and his call for the community to write to the Garda Superintendent in Kildare town to register their concerns.
victim, Joyce Quinn, 44, female, irish (judged from name)Joyce Quinnconvicted, Kenneth O'Reilly, male, named, irish (judged from name)Kenneth O'Reilly - 25 Mar2023Husband of murdered woman ‘relieved’ as killer refused parole 27 years later
Provides further detail on the murder (stalking, stabbing, rape), the family's oral submission to the new Parole Board under the Parole Act 2019, and Ray Quinn's reaction to the parole refusal. Confirms O'Reilly was never charged with the rape and will reapply in two years.
victim, Joyce Quinn, 44, female, irish (judged from name)Joyce Quinnsuspect, Kenneth O'Reilly, male, named, irish (judged from name)Kenneth O'Reilly