Andrew McGinley: ‘I know every detail about how my children died, but I still don’t understand why’

Andrew McGinley, whose children were killed by their mother Deirdre Morley in 2020, has said he dreaded reading of the death of another child at the hands of a mentally ill parent.

Speaking to The Irish Times to announce a fundraising cycle for one of the charities he set up in his children’s memories, he said “nothing has changed” three years on.

Ms Morley was found not guilty by reason of insanity of murdering her three children Conor (9), Darragh (7) and Carla (3). Their bodies were discovered at the family home in Newcastle, Co Dublin, on January 24th, 2020. She had attempted to take her own life after the killings.

The paediatric nurse was found to be suffering from a mental disorder at the time of the three killings. She has been committed to the Central Mental Hospital.

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Mr McGinley has said details of her illness that emerged during the trial had been unknown to him, or Ms Morley’s wider family, before the children’s deaths, and expressed their belief that if they had been involved in her care, the outcome could have been different.

He is still waiting on a review of the case from the Health Service Executive (HSE) – due, he hopes, by early April.

“Whereas I stand here talking I know every detail about how my children died, but I still don’t understand why,” he said on Thursday. “The search for answers goes on.

“It’s the same for many people I see. Take Fiona Donohoe in Belfast [whose son Noah (14) was found dead in a storm drain in June 2020 six days after he went missing].

[ Move not to pursue corporate manslaughter charges in Noah Donohoe case reviewed ]

“You want answers and to understand,” said Mr McGinley. “It’s not a blame game. It’s to understand. Hopefully, from that review, this will never happen to anybody again.

“I am quite frustrated. I met Mary Butler, minister for mental health, I have spoken one of the directors for mental health services in the HSE. But no change is happening.”

The charities he established – Conor’s Clips, A Snowman for Carla, and As Darragh Did – keep him going. “I have tried everything from counselling to reiki to everything. But it’s these projects that get me out of bed in the morning. The projects mean an awful lot to me.”

On Thursday the Maynooth Students for Charity announced their annual Galway Cycle would be in aid of As Darragh Did. McGinley explained Darragh had been involved in numerous sports and activities. “He was into everything,” he said.

[ Andrew McGinley: People are dead who might be alive if families had been involved in their treatment ]

The charity supports community groups and organisations to encourage greater participation and involvement, “as Darragh did”. The Galway Cycle – now in its 36th year – sees hundreds of cyclists pedal from the Maynooth campus to Galway city and back over the last weekend in March.

“We are hoping it will raise a good significant sum for As Darragh Did this year, and we are looking for anyone who is in cycling groups or who would like to take part to register. They will find all the information on Galwaycycle.ie.”