The nation reacted in shock and horror back in August, when it emerged that Cavan woman Clodagh Hawe and her three sons – Liam, Niall and Ryan – had been murdered in their home by her husband, Alan.
Now, just over three months after the tragedy, Clodagh’s mother and sister have spoken out and vowed to make their loved one’s voice heard.
Jacqueline Connolly told the Irish Mirror: “Clodagh’s voice was taken from her in the most brutal way by a man she should’ve been able to trust with her life. So now, Mam and I will be her voice – we have to be, and neither Clodagh nor we will be silenced again.”
Jacqueline and her mother, Mary Coll, also revealed that they ‘will work to highlight domestic violence, especially the silent type where there are no obvious warning signs’.
“Clodagh never stood a chance, and so the boys never stood a chance. Not once in their lives had they been vulnerable or in danger, because Clodagh was just the best mother,” Jacqueline added.
She and Mary went on to pay tribute to Clodagh and her dedication as a mother to her three boys, describing her as their ‘friend, protector, guide, counsellor and teacher’; their ‘everything’.
We’re thinking of Clodagh’s family; their words and plans are nothing short of inspiring.
