Cork man jailed for life for murder of 61-year-old father of four

Olivia Kelleher

A judge has said that a father of four who provided shelter to a person in hardship later saw his kindness repaid with "cruel savagery" when the same man stabbed him to death at his home in Macroom, Co Cork.

Daniel Hourigan (33) was jailed for life for the murder of Michael Foley on Thursday. The grandfather of 12 was found dead at his home in Annville, Barrett’s Place in Macroom, Co Cork on February 6th, 2024.

Earlier this month, a jury at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork found Hourigan guilty of the murder of the 61-year-old. The native of Clonakilty in west Cork had suffered 11 stab wounds, 19 incised and defensive wounds and 34 blunt force trauma injuries.

Hourigan, who was originally from Farranree in Cork city, had lived in the Macroom home of Foley for several weeks in the spring of 2023.

The trial had heard that Foley had encountered a then homeless and struggling Hourigan in Cork city. Hourigan was known to him, and he immediately offered to give him temporary accommodation.

Dt Sgt Danielle Hegarty told a sentencing hearing in Cork today that Hourigan and his then partner Linda O’Flynn had gone to visit Foley at his Macroom home on January 31st, 2024.

The couple stayed overnight and left the property the following morning. They took a bus to Cork city, with Hourigan leaving the murder weapon in a refuse bag in the cargo area of a bus to Cork city. They didn’t retrieve the bag when they got off the bus in Cork city.

Bus driver Paudie McKenna gave evidence at the trial of finding the knife in the bag. He said that for safety reasons the knife was discarded in a skip for metals at the bus depot in Cork. It was retrieved by Gardai in the aftermath of the murder.

Hourigan was found dead in a pool of his own blood in the kitchen/living room area of his home five days after the couple left the property.

O’Flynn, who is originally from Holyhill in Cork city, was previously sentenced to seven years' imprisonment for covering up the murder.

Ray Boland, defence barrister, said that his client plans to lodge an appeal in his case. He still maintains his innocence and blames O’Flynn for the murder.

In his direct evidence, Hourigan insisted that he had a good relationship with Foley. He claimed that he had asked him to be the Godfather of his unborn child just hours before his partner killed him.

He also stated that at the time he thought O'Flynn was pregnant and lied to gardai in her Garda interviews to protect her.

Meanwhile, Caroline Foley, the eldest daughter of the deceased, addressed Hourigan directly as she delivered her victim impact statement at a sentencing hearing in Cork.

She said that her father was more than a victim in the case.

“He was Grandad to 12 beautiful grandchildren who adored him. He was the heart of our family. He was the person we turned to when life was hard, the first to help when someone needed him, and the last person to ever ask for anything in return.

He taught us kindness. He taught us compassion. He believed that everyone deserved another chance.

If someone was struggling, he never looked the other way. He opened his heart and his home to people when others wouldn't. That was the man he was.”

She said that the deepest pain that the family carries involves knowing that the kindness of their father was “repaid with betrayal".

“You (Hourigan) accepted his generosity. You accepted his trust. You accepted the roof he gave you over your head. Then you repaid the man who helped you in the most unimaginable way possible.”

She said that she had made a promise to her father that she would receive justice for his killing.

“I will always remember leaning close to my dad and whispering into his ear, 'Dad, I know who did this to you, and I promise I'll do everything I can to make sure justice is served. Today I can say that I kept that promise.”

Ms Foley thanked prosecuting barrister Jane Hyland for her dedication and compassion. She said that Hyland had given her family strength during the “darkest chapter of their lives".

Meanwhile, Molly Foley, a sister of the deceased, said in her victim impact statement that she felt haunted by what her brother had endured in his final moments.

“We cannot begin to imagine the fear, pain, loneliness and suffering he endured as he lay dying on his own, abandoned by someone he trusted.”

Judge Siobhan Lankford said that Foley had provided a haven to Hourigan when he was trying to come off heroin.

She said that it was particularly troubling that Hourigan had opted to leave the house in Macroom on the morning of February 1st, 2024, at a time when he knew that Foley was still alive.

“No effort was made to make any phone call to seek any assistance for Michael Foley.”

She sentenced Hourigan to mandatory life imprisonment and offered her sincere condolences to the relatives of the deceased following their seismic loss.