Peter Mulryan

And over the next five years or so, Eamon Cook slipped out of the spotlight.

He did, however, continue to appeal every conviction he ever received.

Cook would appear in court over 100 times since going to jail in 2001, with all his legal representation paid for by the taxpayer through free legal aid.

Now in his late 70s, his day spent chain-smoking Rothman cigarettes caught up with him.

He was diagnosed with lung cancer, but elected not to have any treatment.

I only saw him once in prison a year ago, and he had Alzheimer's.

He went to prison when I was nine.

These are the words of one of Eamon Cook's daughters when interviewed by the Irish Mirror a number of years ago.

As Cook's cancer progressed, he was removed to a Dublin hospice for the final weeks of his life, where a number of his children visited him in his dying days, including this daughter.

It was for myself, but also for the fact that being an Irish person, you're meant to respect the dead, basically, and I don't believe anyone should die with so much guilt and all.

It was to give him peace.

I think everyone, no matter who someone is, they deserve peace.

Cook's daughter wasn't his only deathbed visitor.

The Gardaí visited him too.

Twice.

And the reason was because of a victim from his 2003 trial came forward with a childhood memory from when she was nine, an eyewitness account which could potentially solve one of Ireland's most notorious missing child cases.

Philip Kearns

When Garthie questioned Cook on his deathbed, he could only give yes, no answers, but he did appear to indicate that he knew Philip Kearns.

Now, he denied murdering Philip, but apparently detectives had gone and questioned him on two occasions before.

while he was in the hospice.