Singer Hits Panic Button
after man ties up maid
John Breslin
Irish Examiner, 29 September 2005 RECLUSIVE multi-millionaire singing star Enya was locked
inside her panic room-style private quarters as a stalker spent hours
prowling the corridors of her south Dublin castle.
One of her maids was tied up during a two-hour ordeal inside the Donegal
singer's home in upmarket Killiney.
The man managed to break in to the castle despite the cautious singer,
whose estimated worth is (euro)100 million, spending hundreds of thousands
on security.
It was the second stalker incident within a week - an Englishman having
been caught and arrested in the grounds.
Less than seven days later, the second incident happened. Gardaí investigating
the break-in, which happened six weeks ago but was only revealed publicly
yesterday, believe he was a stalker rather than a burglar.
He managed to get a key to a safe but did not steal cash or valuables, according
to reports, though he did steal some personal items.
Enya, Eithne Ní Bhraonain, was unaware for some time the man was prowling
the corridors. When the 43-year-old1 discovered
what was happening, she pressed a panic button. By the time gardaí arrived,
the man was gone.
He entered the staff quarters of the six-bedroom Manderley Castle and
tied up a 56-year-old member of staff before attempting to get into
the singer's private quarters.
Enya, who left the family band Clannad to pursue a solo career in the
early 80s, is best known for her 1988 breakthrough album Watermark,
which featured the phenomenally successful hit, Orinoco Flow.
One of the world's biggest-selling recording artists, she stays out
of the spotlight and is extremely protective of her personal life.
She was once stalked by an Italian man for more than a year. He wrote
love letters, recorded an album and even stabbed himself after being
thrown out of her parent’s pub in Gweedore.
Enya made a rare appearance with her siblings during the summer. She
joined family members at the Earagail Arts Festival in Donegal in July.
Note: (1)The first news reports of the break-ins at Mandeley Castle
correctly state that the incidents occured several weeks previously--in
early to mid-August 2005. As the news circulated, many newspapers and
online news sources began treating the breakins as if they had occured
within the past several days.
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