Parents of murdered Irish woman Kirsty Ward speak out
Thursday night's Prime Time will feature an interview with the parents of Kirsty Ward, a young Irish woman who was murdered by her Irish partner in Spain in July 2023.In the emotional piece, Kirsty's parents speak about the lasting impact of her daughter's death on their family, especially that of her teenage son. They will also speak about the pain caused by the court outcome in Spain and their determination to ensure that Kirsty's life and the circumstances of her death are not diminished.Kirsty Ward, a 36-year-old mother of one, was murdered by her partner Keith Byrne in a hotel room in Salou, Spain, in July 2023. Byrne was convicted of murder by a Spanish jury and sentenced to 15 years in prison last year. Speaking to presenter Miriam O'Callaghan, Jackie and John said they never believed their daughter's life was in danger, despite feeling uneasy about the relationship in the months before her death.Kirsty's mother admits: "I thought maybe he'd break her heart...I never thought for one moment that she was in danger."The heartbroken couple recall the day they found out their beloved Kirsty had died. John was home alone, recovering from open-heart surgery, while Jackie was out with their youngest daughter, Zoe."As soon as I arrived, it was obvious there was something wrong," Jackie says. She remembers seeing the two plain-clothes Garda officers and knowing what had happened, and recalls immediately asking: "What has he done?" "I knew," she adds.Part of the reason Jackie and John agreed to speak publicly was to raise awareness of the warning signs of coercive and controlling behaviour, and bring attention to the sentence that Keith Byrne was given. "He's going to return home at some point to this country when his sentence is finished and complete," Jackie says."He's going to take up a job. He's going to take up a relationship." She continues, adding: "People need to know Keith Byrne's name and how dangerous he is."Kirsty's father John also speaks up, warning: "This is what we're dealing with here. This is another Joe O'Reilly. This is another (Richard) Satchwell. Same character traits. And all of that came out in the court".Watch the full Prime Time tonight January 8, at 9:35pm RTÉ One and RTÉ Player and read the online report on RTÉ.ie/primetime.Join our Dublin Live breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive your daily dose of Dublin Live content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.For all the latest news from Dublin and surrounding areas visit our homepage.
