Palpable silence as family recall their memories

IT’S said that a parent should never have to bury a child.

In the past 11 months, Majella and Mark Holohan, parents of Robert Holohan, have shouldered that pain and yesterday the past year’s nightmare took another difficult turn as they were forced to give evidence in their son’s murder trial.

Ms Holohan took the stand before lunch and was barely audible as she first identified herself. Answering questions from the prosecution, she painted an everyday domestic picture of how she was at her home with her children on the day that Robert disappeared. Robert’s younger brother and sister, Harry and Emma, were colouring and playing a jigsaw while Robert played outside with his Christmas present, his BMX bike. Their grandfather called over for some scones. The family chatted and their grandfather went home for his lunch.