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InvestigatesViolence Against WomenSINCE 2020, 37 women have been violently killed in Ireland.
That is in addition to the 25 women killed in Northern Ireland during that time.
These were young women at the start of their careers, mothers with young children, grandmothers well into their retirement.
The majority of the killers – or suspects – were known to the women. In at least 15 of the 37 cases in Ireland, these were reported as partners or exes of the deceased. At least eight more were killed by a family member.
That is likely higher as some cases are still going through the legal process and the relationship to some of those accused is not yet known.
This is an ongoing trend. Recent research led by the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) found that women were killed by a current or former intimate partner in over half of Irish cases (56%) from 2012 to 2023, with another 20% killed by a family member.
This is also the case in Northern Ireland. The BBC reported in October that at least 18 women there were attacked or killed in their own homes since 2020.
A cross-border investigation by The Journal Investigates found last year that despite Ireland’s horrific death toll of women, the country stands out among its EU neighbours as having poor and incomparable data on intimate partner and family member violence.
This was echoed in the recent RSCI study which concluded:
The true scale of gender-based violence against women remains largely hidden due to a lack of focused official statistics and a clear definition of femicide.
Women’s Aid, which works to prevent and address the impact of domestic violence, has been highlighting this issue for almost 30 years. Since 1996, the organisation has published a regularly updated report listing the names of women who died violently in Ireland.
“We record these deaths to remember all the women lost to violence and to illustrate the danger posed to women and to better understand how to increase protection of women and children,” Sarah Benson, CEO of Women’s Aid told The Journal Investigates.
“We need a zero tolerance to all forms of male violence against women and it will take all of us to commit to lasting change.”
In order to have a safer society for everyone, Benson called on “investment in resources for education to change attitudes” and an improved criminal justice system that better protects women.
Another often hidden aspect which we discovered during our research is the small amount of information reported by the media on the women who were killed, with some barely getting a mention in reports on their violent death.
It was difficult for our team, in some cases, to find out more than basic details which are listed on funeral notices. In contrast, in almost all cases, much more information was publicly available on those accused – almost all men.
An unconscious further silencing of these women that needs to be addressed by reporters and editors in our industry.
This is not a new issue. There was significant backlash against the reporting of the murder of Clodagh Hawe and her three sons Liam, Niall and Ryan in 2016.
On social media #HerNameWasClodagh trended at the time as a response to early coverage of the killings in which it was perceived that Clodagh as an individual was lost in an over-focus on her killer and his personality.
Initial news reports on the murder-suicide zoned in on the killer, Alan Hawe, a school vice-principal and his description as “a pillar of the community”. He used a knife and hatchet to kill his family.
Women’s Aid said at the time that people were “rushing in with excuses”.
Though there has been an improvement in the reporting of murder-suicides, it is clear that more work in this area is needed when it comes to the full spectrum of violence against women.
Violence against women in Northern Ireland hit the headlines over the summer when four women were murdered in the space of six weeks. Over the course of 2024, seven women were killed across the border.
In Ireland, five women died violently last year, on top of the 32 lost from 2020 to 2023. These 37 women are:
25 March 2020
Kilkenny pensioner Anne Butler was a mother of one with a partner and six siblings.
She suffered a “torturous and painful death” and “unnatural terror” in her own home on Maudlin Street in Kilkenny, her distraught daughter Elayne told the Central Criminal Court in 2022.
Ann was murdered by 29-year-old Trevor Rowe, who stabbed, beat and mutilated her. Rowe, a drug addict and alcoholic with 31 previous convictions, was sentenced to life in prison in April 2022.
21 June 2020
Mother-of-two Jean Eagers, originally from Ringsend in Dublin, worked in Marks and Spencers in Blanchardstown.
Her husband, 62-year-old William Eagers murdered her with a samurai sword at their north Dublin home. She was stabbed more than 16 times with the weapon. He is now serving a life sentence in prison.
Their son Dillon witnessed the attack, as heard in a victim impact statement. Their daughter Michelle, who no longer lived in the house, was 14 weeks’ pregnant with her first child at the time of the murder.
23 August 2020
Widowed grandmother Neasa Murray was a mother of five who lived in Clontarf in Dublin. Her loss was “devastating for her family and her community”, the court heard in 2022.
She was killed by her son Brendan Murray, who was found not guilty by reason of insanity and remanded to the Central Mental Hospital in 2022.
The 63 year old had schizoaffective disorder and had been acting erratically before he killed his mother at his home in Clontarf.
He was not in a position to understand that what he was doing was wrong, according to the prosecution counsel during his court case. He had previous mental health difficulties but had never been violent.
28 October 2020
Mother-of-two Seema Banu, was from India where she had seven siblings. Her daughter Asfira (11) and son Faizan (6) were murdered alongside her in their home in Ballinteer Co Dublin.
Seema’s 38-year-old husband Sameer Syed took his own life in prison before the case went to trial but an inquest in 2023 returned a verdict of unlawful killing. Before he died, he had admitted to gardaí that he killed his wife but denied killing his children.
Gardaí said forensic evidence supported their belief that he suffocated his children. He killed his family while on bail for assaulting his wife and had a history of domestic violence in both India and Ireland.
A sitting of Dublin District Coroner’s Court heard that Seema Banu had previously stated: “He is dangerous. He will kill me and I just want to go back to India.”
28 January 2021
Wexford mother-of-two Sharon Bennett had been living in temporary accommodation in Ennis, Co Clare. Her father, PJ Bennett, said after the court case in 2022 that “she was a loving daughter and a loving mother”.
She was attacked by her former partner, Patrick Ballard, 35, who was jailed for life. He had been given early release from prison in October 2020, just a few months before the murder, after being sentenced to two and a half years for a serious assault of a woman. He had 140 previous convictions.
Her young daughters, from a previous relationship, were six and nine when she was killed.
Sharon has issues with alcohol and was drinking in a public toilet at the time of the attack, which took place in the market area of Ennis. She died in hospital two weeks later from her injuries.
29 January 2021
Originally from Mongolia, mother-of-two Urantsetseg (Urnaa) Tserendorj moved with her husband to Ireland around 15 years before she was killed. She had been working for about two years with financial services company State Street in the docklands. She was on her way home from her cleaning job when she was attacked.
The streets of Dublin were largely deserted due to Covid restrictions when a 14-year old boy approached her on Custom House Quay and asked her for money. When she said she didn’t have any, he stabbed her. He then cycled away and later attempted to rob another woman. Urnaa died in hospital nine days later.
The child, who cannot be named as he is a minor, had been abusing drugs for two years and wanted money to pay for his addiction. He denied murdering Urnaa, but pleaded guilty to her manslaughter. He was found guilty of murder in 2022 following two trials. The first ended with a jury disagreement.
He is serving a life sentence and will be transferred to an adult prison after his 18th birthday. He lost an appeal against the severity of his sentence last year.
4 February 2021
Cork grandmother Mary O’Keeffe was a cook who had three children, 12 grandchildren and was predeceased by her husband Donal who died 25 years before she was killed. She loved music and dancing, according to her granddaughter Nicky O’Keeffe who also spoke about her generosity and kindness in court.
She was murdered by her ex-partner 63-year-old Michael Leonard who, in 2019, she had made clear she no longer wished to see him. He set fire to his car while she was alive inside, the Central Criminal Court heard at his sentencing. He is serving life in prison for her murder.
Communications between Mary and Leonard that were discovered during the garda investigation suggested he was “emotionally manipulative” in making her remain in contact with him, a detective told the court at the time.
17 April 2021
Healthcare worker Jennifer Poole was a mother of two young children who was employed by Beneavin Lodge Care Home in Glasnevin in Dublin. She was originally from the Ballygall area of Finglas and played camogie with local club Erin’s Isle.
She was stabbed seven times by her boyfriend, 30-year-old Gavin Murphy, at her apartment. He is serving a life sentence for her murder.
Murphy had 13 previous convictions, including two counts of assault causing harm. The court was told that these assault charges were against his “romantic partner at the time” and her mother, when a knife was produced during a fight.
“The loss has had a devastating effect upon the family, particularly her two small children who are left to make their way in the world without the love of their mother,” sentencing judge Mr Justice Paul Burns said in court in 2022.
7 September 2021
At her funeral, parish priest Fr Anthony O’Sullivan described Eileen O’Sullivan as a “diligent worker”. She and her son Jamie, 24, were “kind, gentle and went about their lives with dignity”, he said.
Both mother and son were killed by Eileen’s husband and Jamie’s father, Mossie O’Sullivan, 63, in a murder-suicide. All three had shotgun wounds. An inquest into their deaths returned verdicts of unlawful killing in the cases of Eileen and Jamie.
Mossie shot Eileen twice as she lay in bed and also shot his son Jamie once in the neck when he was in bed, it was noted at the inquest. There was evidence that she tried to defend herself. Alcohol or drugs did not play a factor.
In the aftermath of their murders, Eileen and Jamie’s family campaigned for tighter gun control laws and community-based mental health supports after such incidents occur.
4 November 2021
Brazil-native Fabiola Camara De Campos Silva worked in a cryptocurrency firm as a customer support analyst. She had been living in Dublin since December 2016.
She moved there with her 35-year-old husband Diego Costa Silva. He decapitated his wife with knives in their apartment while suffering from cannabis-induced psychosis. Due to his mental disorder he believed that his wife was possessed by a serpent and that she would kill him, the trial heard.
After he attacked her, by striking her on the head with a mug, strangling and stabbing her, he cut her head off believing that he had to do so to make sure the serpent was dead.
During his trial, the jury was informed that Costa Silva was arrested and brought to hospital for his own safety the previous day but was discharged the same evening. He was found not guilty by reason of insanity last March.
24 December 2021
Mother-of-five Zeinat Bashabsheh was originally from Jordan. After her death her son Alan wrote: “My Mam was the most beautiful and amazing women there was.”
Her partner, 43-year-old Bahaalddin Alshwawrah, was charged with her murder in December 2021. His address was given as Park Na Sillogue Court, Enniskerry, Co Wicklow. In January 2023, Mr Justice Paul McDermott criticised the “intolerable” delay in obtaining a psychiatric report for Alshwawrah.
Alshwawrah is due to stand trial for Zeinat’s murder on 12 May 2025.
12 January 2022
Newly-qualified primary teacher, Ashling Murphy, was working in Scoil Naomh Colmcille in Durrow Co Offaly at the time of her death. She was a talented fiddle player with the national orchestra of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann.
Ashling also played camogie for her local Kilcormac-Killoughey GAA club. She and her boyfriend Ryan Casey were in a relationship for over five years and had planned to marry.
Slovakia-born Jozef Puška murdered Ashling as she went on a run on a popular canal towpath close to her home in Tullamore.
During his trial, Det Sgt Brian Jennings told the court that the day after Ashling was killed, he visited Puška with another detective in St James’s Hospital. He wrote down, word for word, what the interpreter translated as Puska spoke. His notes read: “I did it, I murdered, I am the murderer.”
Puška pleaded not guilty to the murder of Ashling Murphy. The jury found him guilty in 2023 and he is serving a life sentence.
19 March 2022
A loving mother who “was very protective of everyone she loved”, parish priest Fr Richard Hyland said there was “an incredible outpouring of compassion” following Sandra Boyd’s death. The mother-of-five had four sons and one daughter.
She was shot in a tragic accident by her brother Derek Boyd, 28, at his home in Finglas. He told gardaí that by killing his sister through an accidental discharge of an illegally-held loaded semi-automatic pistol, he committed “an unpardonable sin” for which he will pay for the rest of his life.
The court heard that he had acquired the firearm because he was in fear for his own and his family’s safety. He pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of his sister and was jailed for two years in 2022.
He was handed down a five year sentence with the final three years suspended for the firearms offences and four years with the final two years suspended for the manslaughter. Both sentences will run concurrently.
12 April 2022
German grandmother Ruth Lohse was described as the “heart and soul” of her family who kept them together. She moved to Donegal in 2016 where she had grown to love its people, beaches and coastline, her son Kurt Lohse said in a written statement to the court.
Her 63-year-old son Guenter Lohse killed his mother in a house fire after she “dedicated her life to caring” for him. In court, the judge said that Ruth died in “horrific circumstances”.
Guenter, who was described as a “vulnerable person”, was originally charged with murder, but the State accepted a plea to manslaughter. He was jailed for 12 years last November. He received a 13 year sentence with the final 12 months suspended.
13 April 2022
Originally from Cavan, grandmother Mary Bergin was a sacristan at St Laurence O’Toole Church in North Wall in Dublin.
She was stabbed to death by her daughter Moire Bergin, 47, who has bipolar affective disorder. She had symptoms of mania, depression and psychosis at the time. During interviews at Store Street Garda Station, Moire talked “about the devil being the ruination of souls” and having seen the devil in her mother’s eye.
The jury spent one hour and seven minutes deliberating before delivering a unanimous verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity last July.
10 May 2022
Described as a friendly, caring person, Lisa Thompson was a mother of two who had worked as an administrator in local youth services. She lived in Ballymun in Dublin and her funeral congregation heard that she aspired to be a legal secretary.
She was found dead in her home having suffered multiple stab wounds. In April 2023, 38-year-old Brian McHugh of Cairn Court, Poppintree, Ballymun was charged with her murder. McHugh’s trial is set to begin on 4 February this year.
A co-accused, 40-year-old Deirdre Arnold of Briarfield Grove, Kilbarrack is charged with impeding the prosecution or apprehension of the alleged murderer of Sharon between 9 May and 11 July 2022. Her trial is also set for 18 March this year.
19 July 2022
Accomplished pianist Louise Muckell had previously taught piano at Mercy Secondary School in Rathkeale in Limerick. She was also a member of a local church choir.
Louise was discovered with serious injuries at a house in Rathkeale and was pronounced dead the following day in hospital.
In September 2024, a man in his early 50s, Patrick Lawlor of Upper Mallow Street in Limerick City, was charged with assault causing harm to Louise. He was granted free legal aid and allowed on bail on a number of strict conditions.
Lawlor is currently awaiting trial and is due in court next week 09 January for a book of evidence to be served.
12 August 2022
Originally from Romania, Larisa Serban had lived in Ireland for several years. The mother-of-three had lived in Co Westmeath but moved to Athboy in Co Meath with her family about a year before she was killed.
After her death, her sister wrote online that Larisa “loved her kids more than anything else in the world”.
Her partner, 34-year-old Daniel Blanaru with an address of Rathmore in Athboy, handed himself into gardaí and the next day was charged with her murder. His trial is set to begin later this month on 13 January.
15 August 2022
Keen cyclist and grandmother Miriam Burns used to cycle almost every day into Killarney where she lived. Her daughter, Sharon, told mourners at her funeral that her mother was a “lioness” who was known locally as the “beautiful smiling lady on the bike”.
She was discovered when a relative based overseas was unable to contact her and asked a neighbour to check on her welfare. She was found lying lifeless in her front room.
In March 2023, her 52-year-old son, Billy Burns of Arlington Lodge, Tralee, Co Kerry, was charged with the murder of his mother. The case is currently before Central Criminal Court.
4 September 2022
School principal Kevin Shortall described Lisa Cash as diligent, hard-working student. She sat her Leaving Cert in St Aidan’s Community School in Tallaght just over a year before she was killed.
Her 26-year-old brother Andy Cash murdered her alongside her eight-year-old twin siblings Chelsea and Christy Cawley. He inflicted hundreds of stab and slash wounds on his siblings before throwing the body of his brother Christy out the first floor window of their Tallaght home.
Gardaí who responded to the multiple homicide told the court that the scene they encountered was one of “carnage”. Andy Cash was given three life sentences which he is serving concurrently.
At Lisa’s funeral, it was heard that the twins were always by her side, and on the rare occasions they weren’t, she talked about them constantly. Lisa’s friends remembered how she was “the mommy of the group” and how they all had “so much plans for the future, but at least we had the memories we made together”.
12 November 2022
Originally from Romania, Ioana Mihaela Pacala had only moved into her apartment in Ratoath a week before she was killed, The Irish Sun reported at the time of her death.
“She was a dreamer,” her sister Tocoian Estera told The Irish Mirror. “All she wanted was to be in her home and with her children, and to have a husband who loves her.”
Her fiancée Andrei Dobra, 36, strangled Ioana to death during a psychotic episode. He had no history of violence or mental illness. During the trial, two consultant psychiatrists agreed that Dobra had developed psychotic delusions.
The jury found him not guilty of her murder by reason of insanity. It took one hour and 44 minutes to reach their unanimous verdict.
14 December 2022
A “proud” mum and a “brave and honest” person is how Sharon Crean was described following her death just before Christmas in 2022.
Her sister Tara Cullen told The Irish Sun: “Sharon was the most lovely person, the best sister, the best godmother. I don’t know what I’m going to do without her. We’re all going to miss her and I don’t know how we’re going to get over it.”
Originally from Arklow in Co Wicklow, the 34-year-old had been living in Mountmellick, Co Laois. Her son Lorcan was aged just two years old at the time of his mum’s death.
On December 18, 2022 Seán Egan, 36, of no fixed abode, was charged with her murder. The case is currently before the Central Criminal Court.
15 December 2022
Mum-of-two Emma McCrory was a stylist and fashion wholesale manager when she lost her life at her Clontarf home.
Survived by her children Conn and Doireann, an online condolence book set up following her tragic death was inundated with tributes. One wrote: “You were one of the funniest, wittiest, joyful people I’ve ever had the pleasure to spend time with.”
Another said: “Emma, you could light up any room with your eyes and that smile , I used to look forward to our work conferences as if they were holidays and you were a big part of that”.
The 45-year-old was found dead following a blaze at her north Dublin home.
Three months following her death, George Turner, 53, of Fairview Avenue, Fairview, Dublin, was arrested and charged with her murder. The case is currently before the Central Criminal Court.
1 January 2023
Brazilian native Bruna Fonseca was a qualified librarian and a graduate of the Centro Universitário de Formiga. She had been living in Ireland for less than a year at the time of her death.
Originally from Formiga in Minais Gerais in Brazil, she was working as a contract cleaner at the Mercy University Hospital in Cork city where she’d also been living. Her body was discovered in an apartment on New Year’s Day.
In a statement released at the time, Mercy University Hospital described Bruna as a “hard and diligent” worker. A vigil held in Cork city in the days after her death was attended by more than 300 people, including then Tánaiste Micheál Martin.
Miller Pacheco, originally from Formiga in Brazil, was charged with the 28-year-old’s murder at a special sitting of Cork District Court a day after her body was discovered. The case is currently before the Central Criminal Court.
13 January 2023
“Friendly, kind and gentle” is how one of Maud Coffey’s many friends described her following the 41-year-old’s sudden and tragic passing in early 2023.
Her body was discovered at her apartment in the Horizon Building, Royal Canal Park, Ashtown in Dublin. Maud was predeceased by her mum, Stella.
In an online tribute, a friend wrote: “The sad circumstances of Maud’s death cannot take from the light she shared with family and friends throughout her short life.”
On 15 January 2023, 50-year-old Austin Mangan, with an address in Dublin 9, appeared at a special sitting of Dublin District Court charged with her murder. The case is still before the courts.
4 April 2023
Of Roma and Turkish descent, Geila Ibram – who also used the name Melisa – was a mother of four who was due to marry in September 2023. She had only been living in Ireland around three weeks prior to her violent death.
Geila was raised in Tulcea in Romania and had been living with her fiancé in Limerick city. Her children were with her ex-husband in Romania at the time of her passing.
Her fiancé discovered her body in the Riverdock House apartments on Dock Road. She had been stabbed to death.
Following her death, hundreds took to the streets of the city calling for an end to violence against women.
Habib Shamel, an Afghan national, was later charged with her murder after travelling to Belfast where he was arrested. The case is currently before Laganside Crown Court with no date set for trial as yet.
1 May 2023
Locals in Sligo fondly remember Angela Canavan on regular walks with her little Jack Russell dog Millie. The grandmother had been living in the area for several years after relocating from her native Crossmolina, Co Mayo.
According to the Irish Mirror, neighbours described the 58-year-old mother-of-two as a “gentle” woman with a “twinkle in her eye”.
She was discovered with fatal head injuries at her home in the St John’s Terrace area where she had been living alone. Mother to Nigel and Keith, she is also survived by her grandchildren Sophia and Amelia.
In January 2024, her son Nigel was arrested and charged with her murder. The 38-year-old has pleaded not guilty with a trial set to take place on 28 April this year.
24 May 2023
Well known in the Dundalk area for her charity work providing free meals to the homeless, Catherine Henry was a mother of seven and grandmother of 15.
Originally from Coolock in Dublin, the 62-year-old had only lived in the Co Louth town in recent years before she tragically died.
Catherine’s daughters, sons and grandchildren were left “heartbroken” by her death. She was keen gardener, a talented home decorator and regularly took on painting projects in the area.
Her badly beaten body was discovered at an address in Dundalk’s Bridge Street area.
Luke Donnelly, 26, of no fixed abode is currently awaiting trial for her murder.
15 June 2023
Mother to “adored” children Nicole and Ivan, Anna Mooney nee Shupikova worked as an Information Governance Manager at the Rotunda Hospital, Dublin.
Her death rocked Raheny, where she lived with her husband and children. Mooney was originally from Ukraine, but had been living in Ireland for many years. Tributes made at the time remembered her as a “kind and bubbly” woman as well as a “wonderful mother”.
Her husband, 51-year-old Stephen Mooney, is charged with her murder. A trial date has been set for 3 March this year.
In December 2023, a brief sitting of Dublin coroner’s court heard how a postmortem examination found Anna died as a result of “multiple sharp force injuries”. Her inquest was adjourned pending the outcome of criminal proceedings.
14 July 2023
Deepa Dinamani moved to Cork in April 2023 to begin work as a senior funds manager at Alter Domus in Cork Airport Business Park.
Originally from the Kerala area of southern India, she had set up home in the Wilton area of Cork with her husband and five-year-old son Rayesh.
Two days after she was found dead inside her Cardinal Court home, 150 people attended a candlelight vigil on her doorstep. Her employers described the mother-of-one as a “wonderful person and colleague”.
The 38-year-old was found dead after failing to pick up her son from a friend’s home. She had been stabbed a number of times. Following fundraising organised by the tight-knit Inidan community in Cork, her body was repatriated to India to be laid to rest.
Her husband, 41-year-old Regin Parithapara Rajan was charged with her murder. He is due to go on trial over her killing later this month.
29 September 2023
Described as having a beautiful smile which “lit up every place she went”, Lorna Woodnutt had friends all over the world. Originally from Tullamore in Co Offaly, she was living in the nearby townland of Rahan with her husband Micheál.
She had a career in pharmaceuticals but was also a qualified Special Needs Assistant, dental assistant and reflexologist. She “believed in education and encouraged all to develop their gifts and talents”, mourners attending her requiem mass were told.
Lorna was bludgeoned to death in her own home by a teenage boy who later admitted her murder. Due to his age at the time, he cannot be named.
In October 2024, he was sentenced to life in detention after the court heard how he sent a blood-splattered selfie with the victim’s faceless body to friends on a picture sharing app.
Mr Justice Paul McDermott said Lorna had suffered a sustained assault, which the teen had carried out with an “extraordinary level of brutality and viciousness”.
9 November 2023
Mother-of-two Claire Collins was the manager of the Burren Visitor Centre in Kilfenora Co Clare. Sara, one of her adult two daughters, told the congregation at the funeral that her mother “showed us to be gentle, loving and kind”.
Claire’s body was found dead in the bedroom of her home in Kilnaboy, Co Clare. Gardaí are treating her death as a suspected ‘murder-suicide’ where Claire’s husband Joe Collins, 54, is believed to have killed her before he took his own life in an outhouse at the detached bungalow.
Gardaí are not looking for anyone else in relation to the deaths of the couple. Clare County Coroner Isobel O’Dea will hold an inquest into the deaths early this year.
3 May 2024
Pensioner Pat Muckian was a former general manager of Dundalk Credit Union. She lived in Ballinahattna, Dundalk Co Louth.
She was at an event in her niece’s house in Glenwood, Dundalk when she was allegedly attacked with an axe. She was there to celebrate her sister-in-law’s 75th birthday.
At an inquest hearing in October, coroner Cróna Gallagher said postmortem results showed the 81-year-old had died as a result of severe traumatic brain injury due to sharp force trauma. The inquest was then adjourned until after the conclusion of criminal proceedings.
A man was charged with the murder of Pat Muckian two months after her death. The case is still before the courts.
He was originally charged with assaulting three women causing them harm and with unlawfully intimidating another person with a hatchet.
2 August 2024
Young mother-of-two Daena Walsh was a native of Roundwood in Co Wicklow. Her brother Paul told the congregation that he “couldn’t have asked for a better sister” at her requiem mass in August.
“She was one in a million. I wouldn’t have changed Daena for the world. Daena was as mad as a brush and had a heart of gold. Daena was such a beautiful sister that I will always look up to,” Paul said as he promised to remind her sons, Kyson and Ezra, of “what a beautiful and loving and caring Mam you were”.
Daena was pronounced dead at her flat off Main Street in Midleton Co Cork, which was partly on fire when she was found. The results of the postmortem were not released for operational reasons.
Her partner, 29-year-old Adam Corcoran of John Barry House in Connolly Street, Midleton was charged with her murder two days later. The case is still before the courts.
4 August 2024
“A remarkable lady” who brought “light, laughter and love” to the lives of all she knew, is how Josie Ray was remembered at her requiem mass earlier this year.
The mother-of-five was discovered by a family member in a bedroom at her two storey terraced house in St Joseph’s Park in Nenagh Co Tipperary. It is understood that she died by asphyxiation.
A man and woman were arrested for questioning on the day of her funeral but were later released without charge. It was also reported by The Irish Times in August that an interaction between gardaí and the murdered pensioner was sent to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (Gsoc) for examination.
A garda spokesperson told The Journal Investigates that the investigation is ongoing and no update is available at this time.
1 December 2024
Described as a “quiet and mannerly” woman by volunteers of the Kindness Krew soup kitchen, Vanessa O’Callaghan is survived by her children Chelsea, Jerry and Kyle.
She was availing of the services of the soup kitchen in Cork city when she was attacked by three men. She sustained head injuries and was rushed to hospital for treatment.
A garda spokesperson told The Journal Investigates that the Serious Crime unit in Anglesea Street, Cork continue to investigate the fatal assault. A post-mortem examination has been completed, the results of which are not being released for operational purposes.
Gardaí are continuing to appeal to the public for information. They asked that anyone who was in the area around the Savoy, St Patrick Street between 7.15pm and 8.15pm on Sunday 1 December 2024 and who may have information regarding this incident should make contact with them. They are also seeking dash-cam footage, from motorists, particularly taxi drivers who were in the area at the time.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Anglesea Garda Station on 021 4522000 or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111.
28 December 2024
A Croatian national, Mirjana Pap had been living in Ireland since her 30s. She was well known and worked locally in the Athlone area. It is understood she had a number of grown-up children.
Mirjana was reported missing from her home in Athlone, Co Westmeath, last Saturday and her body was discovered on Monday afternoon on farmland in Co Roscommon. Following a post-mortem examination, gardaí launched a murder investigation and an incident room has been established at Athlone garda station.
It was reported by The Irish Times yesterday that the chief suspect for the murder of Mirjana Pap was due to be questioned about the crime. The man was taken into custody on a different matter.
Gardaí are appealing for witnesses or anyone with any information to come forward. They are “particularly interested in the movements of a silver 08G registered Peugeot 207 on Saturday 28th of December 2024 between 11am and 12 noon,” a garda statement said.
Anyone with any information is asked to contact Athlone Garda Station on 090 649 8550, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station.
Comments have been closed for legal reasons.
Reporters: Maria Delaney & Patricia Devlin • Editor (The Journal): Sinéad O’Carroll • Editor (The Journal Investigates): Maria Delaney • Main Image Design: Lorcan O’Reilly • Social Media: Sadbh Cox
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