A dark day

IN one of the most heartbreaking days in recent Irish history, seven people — including four children under the age of six — died tragically at their homes in East Cork and Limerick.

In the village of Ballycotton and town of Newcastle West, locals were trying in vain to come to terms with the idea of such bloodshed on their doorsteps.

One of the victims, Amy, was just five-months-old when she was stabbed to death in her Newcastle West home along with her three-year-old brother Reece.

Just hours before they, their mother, Sarah Hines, and mother’s friend Alicia Brock were all found dead at a rented house at Hazel Grove Estate, another three people, a father and his two daughters, had been discovered in East Cork.

The man, 43-year-old John Butler, was found dead in his burnt-out car about a mile from Ballycotton village, having driven the car at high speed into the ditch at around 9.45am.

A neighbour later found six-year-old Zoe and two-year-old Ella in their Ballybraher home.

It’s understood that John Butler, originally from Milford in Co Cork, had been suffering from depression and had been attending a local doctor. His wife, Una, was at work in Cork city when her children were killed.

A 31-year-old man, a former horticulturist, was arrested in connection with the Limerick deaths four hours after the bodies were found.

According to a Garda spokesman, the man was having a drink at a bar in the west Clare resort of Kilkee at 4.30pm when gardaí entered. He didn’t resist arrest.

The Garda spokesman said the man’s whereabouts were tracked to Kilkee after the man made a call earlier yesterday to a friend in Newcastle West. The main suspect only moved into the house at Hazel Grove within the last two weeks.

There was no connection between the two tragedies.

In Limerick, Chief Supt David Sheahan described the murders as “unreal”. The state pathologist Dr Marie Cassidy went to the scene late last night and post-mortem examinations will be carried out on all four bodies at the Mid-Western Regional Hospital today.

In Co Cork, Superintendent Flor Horan said they would have to await the outcome of post-mortem examinations last night to determine the exact cause of death.

Prof Marie Cassidy, together with assistant state pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster, visited the Co Cork house shortly after 5pm where they carried out a preliminary examination of the four bodies.

Archbishop Dermot Clifford also expressed his shock at the East Cork deaths and called for prayers following the tragedy.

“My heart goes out to all concerned; the children’s mother, to the extended family, relatives and friends and to the community of Ballycotton and to the people of the whole parish of Cloyne. I ask for prayers for the deceased,” he said.

Local county councillor Michael Hegarty said a very dark cloud had descended over the community.