Irish Blood season 1 episode 3 ending explained: Does Fiona find the evidence to put Johnny McIntyre in prison?

Alicia Silverstone's murder mystery in Ireland continues in Irish Blood season 1 episode 3. It marks another successful investigation for her amateur detective character, Fiona Fox, as she gets to the bottom of her father's murder and the criminal underbelly of the small Irish town.

In Under Wraps, Fiona's father leaves her a clue prompting her and Róisín's next investigation: a pair of blood-stained mixed martial arts gloves with a hidden hardened plaster inside. Mystery-solving once again puts Fiona near dangerous people. However, in the end, Fiona finds evidence that links Johnny McIntire to a cold murder case from years ago, sending him to prison.

Beyond the central murder mysteries, Irish Blood season 1 episode 3 also explores more of Fiona and Róisín's dynamic both in and outside of the investigation. A new love interest also begins to develop, and he proves to be a key player in Fiona’s success this time.

Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers for Irish Blood season 1 episode 3. Reader's discretion is advised.

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Does Fiona successfully put Johnny McIntire in prison in Irish Blood season 1 episode 3?

In Irish Blood season 1 episode 3, Fiona's investigation into her father's murder revolves around a new clue in Declan's briefcase, a blood-stained MMA glove. While Fiona thinks it's a boxing glove at first, Róisín and Musa quickly steer her in the right direction. Inside the glove, they discover a hardened plaster insert that, when used, could gravely injure or even kill the opponent.

Fiona Fox in Irish Blood (Image via Acorn TV)

Initially, At first, Fiona suspects that the glove belongs to underground MMA fighter Caoimhin McIntyre, and she believes he may have killed Declan. However, a game of poker, which Fiona wins, proves her otherwise. Caoimhin's cousin, Johnny, who is a member of Musa's boxing gym, however, isn't as innocent.

With the help of Tess and Róisín, Fiona pieces together that an underground MMA fight from 1995 killed a man, and the suspect was Johnny McIntire. However, subsequent reports from that time indicate that charges against him were dropped. However, Fiona, though a divorce lawyer by profession, has learned not to take things at face value.

It's a skill her father admires, which is the reason he left her the briefcase to investigate his murder. It's the same thing Declan talks to Fiona subconsciously throughout Irish Blood season 1 episode 3. She eventually connects the 1995 fight to the dead horse, Beannacht Ben, from the Irish Blood season 1 premiere.

It is revealed that Johnny himself was the one who alerted authorities about the horse’s body in the bog.

With all those reports tying to Johnny McIntire, the next thing to do is to prove that he owns the MMA gloves in Declan's briefcase. Although it happens off-screen, Irish Blood season 1 episode 3 ends with enough evidence that the DNA in the MMA gloves is Johnny's, ending with him getting arrested and thrown in jail.

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Irish Blood season 1 episode 3: How does Fiona get the DNA to implicate Johnny McIntire in the murder?

Johnny is arrested (Image via Acorn TV)

The most challenging part of Fiona's investigation in Irish Blood season 1 episode 3 was getting a DNA sample from Johnny. While she's good at poker, thanks to her father, she's not very good at snooping through other people's things. At one point, she attempts to search Johnny’s locker at the boxing gym, but she gets caught in the act and only narrowly escapes a dangerous situation.

Fiona’s eventual success in implicating Johnny McIntire involves a bold favor from Musa and an underground cage fight with Caoimhin. Musa is not an MMA fighter, but at this stage, he is willing to do almost anything for Fiona. The plan is simple: if Musa can get close enough to Caoimhin, they can secure a DNA sample and use it to link Johnny to the evidence.

So, Musa gets into a fight with Caoimhin, and while he looks like he's going to get beaten to a bloody pulp, Musa throws a huge punch in the third round, causing Caoimhin's blood to splatter right into Fiona's face. That's how she got the DNA sample to get Johnny into jail at the end of Irish Blood season 1 episode 3.

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Does Irish Blood season 1 episode 3: Who is the mystery man trying to scare Fiona into leaving Ireland?

At the end of the Irish Blood season 1 premiere, Fiona is left by the mystery man who held her at gunpoint at the bog. Episode 3 kicks off with her waking up to find Musa coming to her rescue. From the kidnapping, what Fiona remembers most is that the man who left her there is the same one she later saw snooping through her belongings at the hotel.

Johnny is the man in the bog (Image via Acorn TV)

She recalls the man by the unmistakable burn scar on his right hand. At the end of episode 3, she notices the same scar on Johnny’s hand just before he is arrested by the police. Earlier in the episode, Johnny makes a phone call, most likely to his "boss," telling the other person that Fiona is still investigating. He also adds that simply scaring her is no longer enough.

Although Johnny never confesses to what he had done to Fiona, there's enough evidence to get him into prison for killing Siobhan's brother, Benji Donovan, from the 1995 case. That said, Fiona still has no proof of who killed Declan, even though she has already solved two cases using the clues hidden in her father’s briefcase.

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Are Musa and Fiona together in Irish Blood season 1 episode 3?

Besides getting engrossed in her father's murder mystery in Irish Blood season 1 episode 3, Fiona's love life also takes a front seat, especially after what Musa has done for her. Earlier in the episode, when Fiona thanks him for agreeing to fight, their conversation leads to an unexpected kiss. After the fight, the two officially agreed to go on a date.

Irish Blood season 1 episode 3 ends with Fiona and Musa sharing Chinese food and wine in the house her father has left her in the will. With them talking about reasons to return to Ireland and making out, it appears that Fiona is not only finding clues this season, but finding love as well.

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Catch Irish Blood season 1 episode 3, along with the show's previous episodes, streaming on Acorn TV.