A family and community who have spoken out about the impact a murder-suicide has had on their lives have been backed by others who have been through similar horror ordeals.
They are now all calling for greater psychological support and counselling for bereaved communities who have been affected by such tragedies.
Norma Harrington, a next door neighbour of Lixnaw murder-suicide victims Eileen O’Sullivan and her 24-year-old son Jamie, said she was shocked there was no approach from any statutory agency offering counselling or support to the local community following the tragedy.
Eileen and Jamie were killed by her husband, and Jamie’s father, Mossie, before he then took his life in an incident that shocked the tight-knit Kerry community last year.
Now Norma’s calls for help have been backed by grieving dad Andrew McGinley and a parish priest in Kanturk, Cork, where another murder/suicide took place claiming the lives of Mark O’Sullivan (26), his brother Diarmuid (23) and their father Tadg O’Sullivan (59) in October 2020.
The tragedy has also drawn Cath Houlihan and Norma together. Cath is Eileen O’Sullivan’s niece and Jamie’s first cousin.
Speaking yesterday to RTE News Norma said: “We were expected to give statements. We were expected to relive what happened. Not just my family – the whole community. We didn’t even receive a leaflet through the door or a number to call.”
She said what they all needed at that point was “for services to come to our community to provide a space for the community to come and talk about what happened. That didn’t happen and I can’t understand it.”
She said she received specific trauma support in the UK as she is now working in London and said it has been amazing and helped her significantly.
She says she doesn’t understand why the Government and the HSE aren’t seeing that as their responsibility for the Irish people.
Cath agreed and described the absence of support from statutory agencies for her family and community as “incredible.”
Supporting Norma and Cath’s calls for more supports to be put in place, Andrew McGinley, the father of Conor (9), Darragh (7) and Carla (3), who were killed by their mother Deirdre Morley at their family home in Newcastle, Co Dublin in January 2020, said it was up to him to make the calls.
“The first offer from the HSE for any sort of support for me was after the trial when I asked for a review in mental health care,” Andrew told The Star.
“It was only then they asked if I needed support. There are no structures in place, there is nothing.”
Ms Morley was found not guilty of their children’s murders by reason of insanity and was committed to the Central Mental Hospital in 2021.
Andrew said he did receive great support from voluntary organisations like Anam Cara, First Light and Advic – but he had to make the calls.
“But no, there was no approach from any statutory agency at the time,” he added.
“I know the school got support and some of Conor and Darragh’s friends are still attending counselling but that is being funded by their parents and that just devastates me, those parents having to fund counselling doesn’t seem fair or right.
“I had a Garda family liaison officer who was fantastic but it’s up to you to make that phone call for counselling. It needs to change,” he insisted.
Parish Priest of Kanturk, Canon Toby Bluitt – where another murder/suicide took place claiming the lives of Mark O’Sullivan (26), his brother Diarmuid (23) and their father Tadg O’Sullivan (59) in October 2020 – is also supporting calls for support systems to be put in place.
Mark was shot dead by his father Tadg and his younger brother Diarmuid, who later took their own lives in the horror incident which had its origins in a dispute over who would inherit 115 acres of farmland.
Canon Bluitt told The Star: “The tragic deaths of Mark, Diarmuid and Tadg had a profound effect on the locality and community so yes, I would fully support the calls for greater support.
“It’s vitally important.”
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