Family members and friends of a 78-year old retired Dingle fisherman charged with murder in the Isle of Man will today ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs to intervene with the Manx authorities. Mr Cowen will be in Dingle to open the Paidi O'Shea football tournmament.
Mr Benny Moore has been unable to leave the Isle of Man since October 28th last, when he was charged with the murder of a 38-year-old female friend.
He had been drinking with her the previous night and she had accompanied him to his hotel room, where she became sick during the night. He called an ambulance, but she died before she got to hospital.
Preliminary reports stated that she had choked on her own vomit.
Mr Moore was arrested within minutes of calling the ambulance and later charged with her murder. He was held in custody for almost eight weeks and then allowed out on bail on condition he stayed in approved accommodation, observed a curfew and signed on regularly with local police.
Despite extradition arrangements between Ireland and the Isle of Man and his family offering all sureties required by the authorities, he has not been allowed to leave the island for home while awaiting trial.
No date has been fixed for a hearing of his case. The prosecuting advocate, Ms Linda Watts, told The Irish Times she had no idea when this would take place. "There are so many variables," she said.
The case, which has been adjourned a number of times, is scheduled for mention in court again on March 4th, but it is not clear whether this will be a committal hearing. It is also unclear whether any representative of the Department of Foreign Affairs will attend. A spokesman told The Irish Times that each request was viewed as sympathetically as possible.
Meanwhile, Mr Moore's family, who all live in the Dingle area, are concerned for his health. It is understood he is baffled by what has happened and is becoming depressed by the constant adjournments and the fact that he appears to have no prospect of going home in the foreseeable future.
The Isle of Man is not part of the Britain, but is a dependency of the crown and Queen Elizabeth has as one of her titles that of Lord of Mann. Laws are decided by the Tynwald, rather than the House of Commons, where the island is not represented. Neither English nor Irish lawyers have the right of audience in Manx courts.