A man (54) has been remanded in custody after he was charged with the murder of Kerry sheep farmer Michael Gaine, who disappeared from his farm near Kenmare almost a year ago.
Michael Kelley was brought amid tight security to Tralee District Court on Wednesday afternoon. He was charged with the murder of Gaine at Carrig East, Kenmare, between March 20th and March 21st, 2025.
Det Sgt Mark O’Sullivan of Killarney Garda station gave evidence of arrest, charge and caution. He told the court that Kelley made no reply to the charge when it was put to him after caution at 3.06pm.
Court presenter Sgt Chris Manton said gardaí were seeking a week’s remand in custody for Kelley to allow the preparation of a book of evidence.
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Judge David Waters said he was granting the application given bail is not available on a murder charge at District Court and he remanded Kelley in custody to appear at Tralee District Court on March 4th by video-link.
He also granted Kelley free legal aid and assigned solicitor Pat Mann after he presented a statement of means on behalf of his client, who didn’t speak during the three-minute hearing.
Gaine’s widow, Janice, was in court accompanied by a Garda family liaison officer and friends.
A native of Maine in northeastern United States, Kelley served in the US army in the early 1990s and later worked a number of jobs in Maine before coming to Ireland in 2017. He applied for asylum on arrival at Dublin Airport and was accommodated by the International Protection Accommodation Service at a centre in Killarney for a number of months.
He first lived in woods in the National Park in Killarney and later spent a winter camping in woods in Kenmare before obtaining work as a farmhand.
