Man arrested over Philip Finnegan’s murder

Detectives investigating the murder of a man whose body was discovered in a wood in Co Kildare in September have arrested a man in his 30s.

The body of Philip Finnegan (24), who had been missing for almost a month, was discovered by walkers in Rahin Wood, near Carbury in Co Kildare, on September 2nd.

His body was partially buried in dense undergrowth and an attempt had been made to set it on fire. His clothes showed evidence of charring.

Mr Finnegan was reported missing from his home at Mary Aikenhead House, Dublin 8, on Wednesday, August 10th.

Gardaí are investigating whether Mr Finnegan may have been killed because he owed money to a leading crime figure.

At approximately 1pm on Wednesday, a man was arrested in Portlaoise, Co Laois, in connection with the murder.

He is being detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984, at Leixlip Garda station.

Line of inquiry

One line of inquiry being pursued by gardaí is that Mr Finnegan may have been killed by people known to him who had recently been released from jail.

It has been reported that Mr Finnegan had been living in fear of his life and wore a bulletproof vest after being targeted by crime gangs in Dublin.

Mr Finnegan had escaped death after a gunman opened fire on him and another man in a drive-by shooting on Lower Basin Street in July 2013.

In December that year, he was also involved in an altercation between two groups at a fast-food restaurant in Dublin’s city centre.