Woman arrested on suspicion of murder of Stephen O’Meara in 2009

A woman has been arrested on suspicion of the murder of Stephen O’Meara, a father-of-three who was killed in Co Wicklow 16 years ago.

The woman, aged in her 40s, was arrested on Tuesday afternoon and is being detained at a Garda station in Co Wexford.

Mr O’Meara, 26, was reported missing by his partner on August 8 2009.

He was missing for almost five months when his remains were discovered on Christmas Eve in a shallow grave in a wooded area at Ballydonnell, near Redcross in Co Wicklow.

Mr O’Meara’s parents, John and Veronica O’Meara, have made several appeals for the public to help with the Garda investigation into their son’s death.

At around 6pm on August 6 2009, Mr O’Meara left his home at Rose Hill in Wicklow town.

He walked through different walkways along the back of the town to Marlton Road, where he was collected by a silver Nissan Pulsar car and driven through Redcross.

When the car arrived at a wooded area in Ballydonnell, a group of male suspects were present, gardai believe, and Mr O’Meara was shot and buried in a shallow grave in the woods.

Two men have previously been convicted for offences relating to Mr O’Meara’s murder, gardai said.

An investigation is continuing into other suspects believed to be involved in Mr O’Meara’s death.