Convicted murderers Julie McGinley and Michael Monaghan have failed in their attempt to have their convictions quashed.

The former lovers are each serving 15-year sentences for murdering McGinley's husband, Gerald, in the bedroom of the couple's home in Derryraghan, Coa, in August 2000.

Following an appeal launched in the Court of Appeal in Belfast earlier this year, three judges determined on Thursday of last week that the convictions are 'safe'.

Thirty-four-year-old Mr McGinley died from severe head wounds sustained in the attack. His wife, Julie, explained her husband's disappearance by claiming that her husband took money from the house and got into a car that bore a Republic of Ireland registration plate, and left.

Mr McGinley's skeletal remains were discovered in a shallow grave in Ballinamore, Co. Leitrim, ten months after his disappearance.

McGinley (35), and 48-year-old Monaghan were both handed life sentences in December 2002, after a jury found them guilty of the murder.

Earlier this year, the pair launched a joint appeal against their convictions at the Court of Appeal in Belfast in front of Lord Justices Nicholson, Campbell and Sheil.

During the hearing, in a submission to the three judges, McGinley's barrister, Barry MacDonald QC stated that the jury in the trial had been mis-directed by the trial judge, the present Lord Chief Justice, Sir Brian Kerr.

James Gallagher QC, representing Monaghan, submitted that there was insufficient evidence to enable a properly directed jury to convict his client of murder.

Unlike the first trial, McGinley chose to give evidence during the appeal, but this was not made public as a press ban had been imposed on the proceedings.

On Thursday, Mr Justice Nicholson ruled that the outcome of the appeal could be reported, stating that the applications on behalf of McGinley and Monaghan had been 'dismissed'.

Mr McGinley's parents were both in court to hear the 78-page judgement surrounding their son's murder and the subsequent legal proceedings that followed.

Regarding the mother of two, Mr Justice Nicholson said, "We are satisfied her conviction is safe," while he said of her co-accused, "We are satisfied that Mr Monaghan's conviction is safe."

Defence teams for both indicated to the Court that they would be seeking to apply for leave to appeal to the House of Lords.