THE sister of Cork woman Nora Sheehan, who was murdered and her body dumped in Shipool outside Innishannon in 1981, has spoken about the ordeal for her family.
Sadie Paisley, along with two of Nora’s sons and Nora’s granddaughter, spoke to RTÉ’s Prime Time last week following the conviction of Long at the Central Criminal Court on August 4th.
Long was sentenced to the mandatory term of life imprisonment for Nora’s murder, which finally concluded a 42-year search for justice for Nora’s family. Sadie recalled when she heard the news four decades ago.
‘I heard this terrible news and then I phoned home and I could not believe it. That’s when the shock set in, that it was actually her … somebody who was so gentle.’
Nora’s husband James died within four years of her murder and Sadie said it ‘killed’ him.
Nora’s granddaughter Katie said the family had spent 42 years hoping that that day would come. Originally from Crookstown, Nora moved into Ballyphehane in Cork city after marrying James. She developed several eccentricities, following a fall eight years before her death, including a habit of waving at passing cars.
‘Nora was Nora, she had her own individuality,’ said her son James. ‘She was fierce kind,’ her son Jerry said: ‘Even back then if a neighbour died or anything like that, she’d always go to the homes and lay them out. She brought that with her from the country. She was lovely, she was always there.’
Long had lived in the south-west of the city and more recently in Passage West for the past 42 years and Nora’s family knew all this time that the prime suspect lived in the same county.
‘We had to live with it. I suppose the only thing we had was – we have good neighbours. We all grew up together and everyone was there for everyone else. Only for that we wouldn’t be surviving at all,’ said Jerry.
The family thanked all the those who worked on the case through the decades and said they are thinking of other victims of murder victims, including families whose loved one’s death is now considered a ‘cold case’.
‘We do hope some good will come out of it and people realise that if they speak out, they don’t have to be afraid,’ said Sadie.
Nora’s granddaughter Katie said it’s never too late to get justice for your loved ones.
It was reported this week that Noel Long is appealing the conviction.
