Ireland Crime

Named as

Convicted, accused

Born

Between July 1942 and July 1943, from the ages reported

Offences

Robbery

Where

Co. Kildare

Reporting

2 reports, 29 Mar 2026 to 21 Jul 2026

Outlets

irishtimes.com

• Sallins train robbery conviction certified as miscarriage of justice Robbery · Co. Kildare

  On 31 March 1976, a Cork-to-Dublin mail train was robbed near Sallins, Co Kildare, and an estimated £200,000 was stolen. Irish man Osgur Breatnach, 75, was one of five Irish Republican Socialist Party members arrested in connection with the robbery and was convicted by the Special Criminal Court in December 1978 alongside Nicky Kelly and Brian McNally, who died the previous month. Breatnach was sentenced to 12 years and served 18 months before his conviction was quashed in May 1980 after the Court of Criminal Appeal ruled his confession had been obtained under oppression. In July 2026, the Court of Appeal certified the conviction as a miscarriage of justice, citing newly discovered alibi evidence from John Fitzpatrick.

  In court, 25 Jul 2025Convicted, accused · 2 reports

Each entry shows how that report described them.

1. 21 Jul2026
   In courtirishtimes.com, in Sallins train robbery conviction certified as miscarriage of justice

   Osgur Breatnach’s wrongful conviction for Sallins train robbery declared miscarriage of justice

   accused, Brian McNally, 83, male, named, irish (judged from name)Brian McNally♂83IE
2. 29 Mar2026
   Otheririshtimes.com, in Sallins train robbery conviction certified as miscarriage of justice

   ‘The case shattered my life’: Calls for public inquiry 50 years on from Sallins train robbery

   convicted, Brian McNally, male, named, irish (judged from name)Brian McNally♂IE

Matched on the name as printed, ignoring quoted nicknames, and split by the ages reported. Two people who share a name and age would appear together here.