The mystery of Waterford's missing postman

CSÍ - Missing Postman is the first in this new series of explorations of unsolved Irish cases. CSÍ is a series of documentary programmes featuring Irish historical crime stories and revealing unexpected twists and turns with elements of who-dunnit, modern forensic analysis and cold case review. The stories will include the case of a missing postman in Stradbally in 1929; the Maamtrasna murders in 1882 in which five members of one family died; the Berringan Baby kidnapping in Dublin; and the West Cork IRA sectarian killings in 1922. Plus reporter Gary MacDonncha looks for the truth about the Irish roots of the notorious Yorkshire Ripper. Episode One on RTE One on Monday next, September 14 at 7.30pm looks at the story of a postman who went missing 80 years ago Christmas Day 1929 was a normal working day for Larry Griffin, the local postman in Stradbally, Co Waterford. But this was to be Larry's last ever delivery, for he never returned home that night. Apart from an abandoned bicycle on a country road, no trace of him has ever been found. Ever since that day the unsolved mystery of Larry's disappearance has cast a dark shadow over the small community of Stradbally. The Story of the Missing Postman, as it became known, made the headlines nationally and overseas, when 10 local people were arrested and charged with his murder. The defendants included such pillars of the community as two local civic guards, the school teacher, the local publican, his wife and two of their children. But when the state's only witness to the alleged murder was put on the stand, he withdrew his evidence, causing the case to collapse. All the defendants were discharged, no one was ever convicted in relation to Larry Griffin's disappearance, and his body was never found. For 80 years, the garda files on the case have remained closed. Numerous successful libel actions taken by the former defendants, further discouraged media interest. However, all of those involved have passed on. Now for the first time in this programme, Larry Griffin's relatives speak out about what happened to him. Government files on the case have recently become available, and CSÍ have also exclusively obtained witness statements from the garda investigation of the alleged murder. These documents paint a sordid portrait of lies, conspiracy, intimidation and garda brutality. Taken together, they point towards an inevitable and shocking answer to the question, what happened to Larry Griffin?