Murder of Michaela McAreavey

Michaela McAreavey
Photo of Michaela Harte at right, with father Mickey Harte centre, and brother Matthew at left, celebrating Tyrone's 2003 football final win
Michaela Harte celebrated Tyrone's win in the 2003 All-Ireland SFC final with brother Matthew (left) and father Mickey, manager of the team (centre)
Born
Michaela Harte

(1983-12-31)December 31, 1983
Glencull, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland
Died10 January 2011(2011-01-10) (aged 27)
Cause of deathStrangulation
Body discovered10 January 2011,
Legends (afterwards renamed LUX Grand Gaube) Hotel in Grand Gaube, Mauritius
Resting placeSt Malachy's Cemetery, Ballymacilroy
Alma materSt Mary's University College, Belfast
Queen's University Belfast
OccupationTeacher
EmployerSt Patrick's Academy, Dungannon
Known forAssociation with the Tyrone Gaelic football team,
Participation in The Rose of Tralee,
SpouseJohn McAreavey
Parent(s)Mickey and Marian Harte
Murder of Michaela McAreavey is located in Mauritius
Murder of Michaela McAreavey
Location of the LUX Grand Gaube (formerly Legends) Hotel in Mauritius

Michaela McAreavey, née Harte (Irish: Micheáilín Mhic Giolla Riabhaigh née Ní hÁirt, 31 December 1983 – 10 January 2011) was found strangled in the bath of a hotel room in Mauritius, where she had travelled for her honeymoon.[1] The daughter of Tyrone's multiple All-Ireland Senior Football Championship-winning Gaelic football manager Mickey Harte, her death and subsequent events prompted continuing widespread international media coverage.

It was the first murder of a tourist in Mauritius,[2][3] and the Mauritian Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam expressed his sympathy to the Harte and McAreavey families.[4] The two hotel workers who were accused of her murder were tried and declared not-guilty by the Supreme Court of Mauritius: they were acquitted on 12 July 2012.[5][6]

  1. ^ "Michaela's body arrives home". UTV News. 14 January 2011. Archived from the original on 16 January 2011. Retrieved 18 January 2011.
  2. ^ Carey, Sean (17 January 2011). "Has Mauritius lost its allure?". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 20 September 2013. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
  3. ^ "Mauritius honeymoon murder: I stayed at resort". Channel 4 News. 12 January 2011. Archived from the original on 15 August 2012. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
  4. ^ McDonald, Henry (14 January 2011). "Body of murdered Michaela McAreavey arrives home". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 26 January 2011.
  5. ^ McDonald, Henry (11 July 2012). "Michaela McAreavey murder trial: defendants found not guilty". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 31 May 2014. Retrieved 12 July 2012.
  6. ^ Rossl, Alex (12 July 2012). "Hotel Workers Cleared Of Honeymoon Murder". Sky News. Archived from the original on 14 July 2012. Retrieved 12 July 2012.