New TG4 documentary on Portadown girl Marian Beattie asks how a community copes knowing a killer is living in their midst
A new TV documentary explores the 50 year quest by the Beattie family in Portadown, Co Armagh to unmask the killer of their sister Marian.
Marian, a young girl aged just 18, was brutally murdered after a dance in a rural location near Aughnacloy, Co Tyrone. Her body was found at the bottom of a quarry on 31st of March 1973, after she attended a charity dance.
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A new TG4 documentary, featuring Marian’s family and friends, asks ‘how long does it take for a killer to think they have gotten away with their heinous act? And how does a family or a community get on with their lives, knowing that there could be a killer in their midst?’
MARÚ INÁR MEASC is a three-part true crime documentary series by Midas Productions for TG4, which shines a light on the effect that fatal crimes have on society, local communities and on the victim’s families as they are left without answers.
Midas Productions and TG4 have produced a podcast of the same name, which runs alongside the TV edition and explores the societal impact of each case and is available to listen to across all the major podcast platforms.
An RTE spokesperson said: “This series could not have been made without the cooperation of each family and loved ones who shared their story and allowed us the privilege of filming with them.”
Episode 1, which is airing on 19th February 2025, recalls the tragic murder of 18-year Portadown teenager Marian Beattie who was brutally murdered and her body left at the bottom of a quarry.
Over 50 years later, her murder remains unsolved and her family continues to search for truth and justice for their beloved sister.
This documentary features first hand accounts from Marian’s brother Isadore and best friend Nuala Wilson, who were with Marian on the night she was murdered and delves into the archives to uncover how this heinous crime was reported on at the time.
"Through harrowing testimonies of her loved ones, we learn how Marian’s murder has impacted them and the wider community,” said the TG4 spokesperson.
Marian’s family has spent over 50 years trying to get answers that they believe lie within the local community of Aughnacloy.
In 2013 the Beattie family worked with criminologist Robert Giles to take a look at Marian’s case and bring it to the attention of the public once again. This led to new information being brought to light and the discovery that a large number of items of evidence belonging to Marian’s case are missing, and that a suspect volunteered to be interviewed by the PSNI but was not arrested.
This horrific murder, which happened during the worst period of the Troubles, now sits amongst the hundreds of cases under the PSNI’s Legacy Investigation Branch.
This documentary includes interviews with Marian’s family alongside prominent community leaders and journalists who have looked extensively at Marian’s case. This documentary asks why a murder, with no known sectarian motivation, of an innocent 18 year old girl has gone unsolved for so long?