Dad who ‘stabbed wife and three sons in murder-suicide’ left chilling note to warn visitors
Alan Hawe is believed to have killed his wife and their three sons, aged 13, 11, and 6, before turning knife on himself
A DAD believed to have slaughtered his wife and three young children is thought to have left a note at the back door with the instruction “Call the Gardai”.
Alan Hawe is then thought to have taken his own life before officers who arrived at the scene encountered the shocking sight of the young lads and their mum lying dead.
Gardai suspect that the boys — Liam, 13, Niall, 11, and six-year-old Ryan — were murdered in their beds as they slept.
They believe School Vice-Principal Hawe Alan Hawe, from Barconny, in Ballyjamesduff, stabbed his wife first before knifing his three boys at the family home yesterday morning.
Local man Mr Hawe, who is well known in the area, is believed to have turned the knife on himself after killing his partner and three boys.
Heartbreaking images emerged this evening as several coffins were removed from the house and placed into a waiting convoy of hearses.
Locals who saw the family at a football match at nearby Castlerahan GAA club on Sunday afternoon said that there was no sign of the horror to come.
Alan, aged in his 40s, and the younger two children were due back at Castlerahan National School yesterday morning after the summer break.
His wife Clodagh, in her 30s, who was a teacher at Oristown National School, was also about to start the new term.
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A source said: “Alan Hawe was well known in the area and was well respected because of his work in the school and also in GAA circles.”
In a press briefing at Ballyjamesduff Garda Station, Assistant Commissioner John O’Driscoll said two of the deceased were found in a downstairs room and three were found upstairs.
A Garda spokesman said: "The Garda investigation is ongoing but at this stage we are not looking for anyone else in relation to the deaths."
Shocked town councillor Paddy Smith said the whole town is still coming to terms with the tragic news.
The house where five members of the same family were found dead
He said: “It’s just complete shock. I only heard about it and rang a couple of people and everyone is shocked.
“If there is five people dead, it’s tragic, no matter what."
Mr Smith told Independent.ie: “It’s just hard to get your head around the whole thing."
At a press conference this afternoon, Assistant Commissioner O'Driscoll added "We believe all the answers are in that house.
"We are working along very definite lines of inquiry.
"One person in that house may have been responsible for the death of the others."
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