Mum of young woman found dead in canal on St Patrick’s Day says death ‘highly suspicious’

Kelly Lynch’s remains were found in the waterway of the Ulster Canal on March 17.

After the tragic discovery, gardaí carried out a post-mortem on her remains and a spokesman said a file will now be prepared for the coroner.

However, Kelly’s mother, Julieanne, believes the gardai need to do more to discover why her daughter died.

Last week, she went viral on social media with a series of posts about her daughter’s death.

Speaking to the Sunday World, Julieanne said: "I believe that there was an altercation in the early hours of Saturday 16, and her entering the canal wasn't of her own volition.

Julieanne’s quotes about her daughter’s death went viral on TikTok and was shared thousands of times.

She wrote a post from the perspective of her daughter which included the lines:

“Mammy called me, Silly Bean. I don’t know how I died. I lay in shallow water, under a bridge for more than a day.

“No one alerted my parents that I was missing. No one came looking for me. Why? No one seemed to care that I was gone.

“Mammy was told over the phone that I was ‘deceased.’ I can’t imagine the fear and shock she felt getting that call.

“Because I know they had planned to go to my Nanny Lynch’s for dinner that day and they were in the car with my baby brother and sister when she got the call.

“There’s so much confusion over how I died. Please pray that the truth will come out and that all the unanswered questions will find resolution, and eventually bring healing to my loved ones.’

Julieanne spoke with the Sunday World about the background behind her daughter’s tragic passing.

“In my opinion, Kelly's death is highly suspicious, given the fact that she wasn't reported missing and we weren't contacted by anyone to alert us.

"The last time I had heard from her was just before 8 pm on Friday, March 15.

"I believe that there was an altercation in the early hours of Saturday 16, and her entering the canal wasn't of her own volition.

"At present, there has been very little updates from gardaí,” Julieanne said.

Kelly’s mother described being “disgusted” with the investigation into the death, from the moment the family were informed of what had happened to their daughter.

“I was notified of Kelly's death via a phone call. Can you imagine how that felt?

"It shook me to my core and even now when I think back to that day, I am still dismayed with how insensitive that call was.

"It was impersonal and traumatic.

“There has been a lack of clarity, with conflicting information from how quickly Kelly's remains were moved from the scene to the lack of public appeal.

"Her death was only mentioned once on March 18 to a local radio station, which relayed the news on their website - Northern Sound.

"Witnesses have come forward and stated that the road to the bridge was closed briefly and reopened ten minutes after she was removed. There have been multiple failures in how the investigation has been carried out.

"Long delays in taking statements. Some witnesses have waited four weeks. All relevant CCTV has now been overwritten, due to the lack of canvassing.

"There has been a huge lack of communication from the gardaí. We are trying to work with them, but they did not respond to emails, as was agreed originally.

"We have to keep calling to try and get answers, which we are not getting at present. I have maintained throughout that the circumstances around Kelly's death are highly suspicious and continue to do so.

“There is currently a complaint with GSOC and an investigation into this is ongoing.”

Julieanne said that Kelly was a woman in the prime of her life, ‘beautiful, vibrant and young.’

“Her presence always brought an energy with it. Her laugh was loud, raucous, and contagious. She loved being home with her family but also loved going out, just like any other 23-year-old would.

"Kelly wasn’t just my daughter, she was my best friend; an extension of my soul. We had a bond that made it so easy to relate to everything going on in her life.

"She trusted me with everything, and there was nothing that was ever off topic; there were no boundaries between us, and she was extremely comfortable in our relationship.

"Kelly loved her nose piercings, and wild makeup, and expressed herself through her unique sense of style, and I loved that about her. She wasn't afraid to be who she was., and I always encouraged her to be the best version of who she wanted to be.

"She was extremely close to her siblings, and being the second eldest, she took on a nurturing role with her younger brothers and sister. She was brilliant with small children, and they were always drawn to her.

"Kelly was a gentle soul, though fiery, her bark was always worse than her bite. And she loved nothing more than laying on my lap, watching TV, and having me stroke her hair.

"To even think of a future where none of this will happen again, torments me to the point breathing hurts,” Julieanne added.

A garda statement in relation to Kelly’s death reads: ‘In relation to the death of a woman in Monaghan town on the 17th March 2024, a post mortem was completed by the State Pathologist. As a result of the preliminary findings and consultation with the State Pathologist, the focus of this investigation moved towards the completion of an inquest file for the coroner.

‘A Family Liaison Officer was appointed at the outset of this investigation and this information has been relayed to the family of the deceased.

‘As the preparation of the Inquest file is ongoing, no further comment is available at this time.’

Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission stated: “GSOC does not confirm or deny the existence of complaints made by or against individuals. This is to protect the investigative process, and the rights both of complainants, and those complained against.”