Heartbroken

THE family of a 25-year-old woman and her five-year-old nephew who were killed when a house in Cork city was firebombed have spoken of their heartbreak at losing “two precious members” of their family.

They appealed to the public to assist gardaí in bringing Helena and Ryan O’Dwyer’s killer to justice.

A 22-year-old man was released by gardaí last night after being questioned. The man was arrested on suspicion of arson on Sunday afternoon but released at about 8pm last night. Gardaí say investigations are continuing and have appealed to the public to come forward with any information.

Last night, tensions were high in the Cork city suburb of Mahon as locals vowed to seek vengeance for the death of the little boy and his aunt. The man who was arrested is from the Mahon area and is understood to be known to the family.

Last night, Joe and Helena O’Dwyer, parents and grandparents to Helena Jnr and Ryan, said they were devastated.

The family have appealed for privacy asking for the space to “grieve for their loved ones” and make funeral arrangements.

Sinn Féin councillor Chris O’Leary, a neighbour of the family, joined the families’ calls for locals to help gardaí with their inquiries.

The mother of one and her nephew were sleeping in an upstairs room of the house in Nutley Avenue when the petrol bomb was thrown through the living room window.

Firefighters managed to rescue the pair from the building but failed to resuscitate them and they were pronounced dead at Cork University Hospital.

The man was arrested on South Main Street in Cork city and was held under section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act.

It is understood that Helena O’Dwyer recently moved back to the family home after she had been attacked and threatened in her own home last week.

Three generations of the family were present in the house at the time, including Helena O’Dwyer’s parents Joe, 55, and Helena Snr, 49, and her daughter Courtney, 5. Her sister Dawn, 22, was also in the house with her two children, William, 4, and Katelyn, 2. Josephine, the mother of Ryan O’Dwyer, was not in the house. She was being comforted by relatives yesterday.

A Garda spokesman said the investigation into the arson attack is still in the early stages.

* Anybody with information or who was in the Nutley Avenue area between 1am and 3.30am on Easter Sunday is asked to contact Blackrock Garda Station at 021-4357401 or Anglesea Street Garda Station at 021-4522000.

Family statement

THE parents of Helena and grandparents of Ryan have appealed for privacy at this sad time. They have asked for space to allow them to grieve for their loved ones and to enable them to make the necessary arrangements for their funerals.

Joe said: “Helena was a lovely normal 25-year-old who was doing her best to rear her beloved daughter, Courtney. She adored her daughter who, from the moment she arrived, brought love into all our lives.

“Ryan and Courtney were like twins. They were both five and they did everything together. Now they won’t be making their Communions and Confirmations together. They were both born around the time that we lost our youngest son, William, in 2005, and they helped us cope with our grief at that time.

Joe continued: “Ryan was an outgoing, happy five-year-old. He loved going to GAA matches and he always managed to come home with a sliothar. He had started school and loved it. He used to come to our home every Friday and stay, along with Courtney, until Sunday.

“We have lost two precious members of our family and we are heartbroken. We want to appeal to people to assist the gardaí in helping to bring Helena’s and Ryan’s killer to justice. Even the smallest piece of information can help.

“We want to thank our friends and neighbours for all their help and support at this time.

“On behalf of the family, we want to thank the gardaí, the fire brigade, emergency services, the doctors and hospital staff in Cork University Hospital and local councillor Chris O’Leary.”