Gardaí are examining a second note in a sealed envelope believed to have been written by school vice principal Alan Hawe before he murdered his family on Sunday night.
As the community in which the family played an active part struggles to comprehend the tragedy, Deputy State pathologist Dr Michael Curtis will complete post-mortem examinations on Clodagh Hawe, her husband and their three children Liam (13), Niall (11) and Ryan (6) today.
Meanwhile, it has been revealed that the person who discovered the first note, which said ‘Don’t come in, call the Guards’ and was placed inside the glass of the back door of the Hawe home, was Clodagh’s mother. The children’s grandmother had driven to the house, where she was due to look after her three grandsons, after phoning several times and failing to get an answer.
Gardaí who entered the bungalow in Barconey Heights near Ballyjamesduff, discovered the grim scene. The bodies of all three boys, wearing their pyjamas, were discovered upstairs, while the bodies of their parents were found in separate rooms downstairs.
Tributes to ‘friendly’ mum of ‘very close’ Cavan tragedy family https://t.co/ZsiVOhqvgd pic.twitter.com/HJ1fjXhiUV
— Irish Sun (@IrishSunOnline) August 31, 2016
It is believed Alan Hawe murdered his wife first before attacking his sons. According to the latest reports, he then allegedly hanged himself. A knife and a hatchet have been removed for forensic examination.
Mr Hawe was a vice principal at Castlerahan National School, where his sons Niall and Ryan attended as pupils. Clodagh Hawe was also a teacher and worked at Oristown National School.
Friends of the family are stunned by grief. A source told the Irish Mirror there were no warning signs and despite suggestions in the media. Gardaí do not believe Mr Hawe was suffering from ongoing mental health issues or financial problems.
“We are all trying to make sense of this but no one I know saw any signs of trouble, no clues there as anything wrong.”
If you or anyone you know is affected by this story, free-phone the Samaritans now on 116 123.
