Man jailed for life for murdering 61-year-old in Cork after being offered shelter

A judge described the murder of Michael Foley as an act of "cruel savagery" after the 61-year-old, who had offered shelter to Daniel Hourigan, was fatally stabbed in his Macroom home. Hourigan, 33, received a life sentence today for the murder of Foley, a grandfather of 12.

Foley was discovered dead on February 6, 2024, at his residence in Annville, Barrett's Place, Macroom. Earlier this month, a jury at the Central Criminal Court found Hourigan guilty of the murder. Foley, a native of Clonakilty, sustained 11 stab wounds, 19 defensive wounds, and 34 injuries from blunt force trauma.

The court heard that Hourigan, originally from Farranree in Cork city, had resided with Foley for several weeks in the spring of 2023. Foley had encountered a homeless and struggling Hourigan in Cork city and offered him temporary accommodation. Hourigan and his then-partner, Linda O'Flynn, visited Foley on January 31, 2024, and stayed overnight. They left the following morning, taking a bus to Cork city, with Hourigan discarding the murder weapon in a refuse bag in the bus's cargo area.

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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.

Bus driver Paudie McKenna testified to finding the knife in the bag and, for safety reasons, discarding it in a skip at the bus depot, where gardaí later recovered it. O'Flynn was previously sentenced to seven years imprisonment for her role in covering up the murder.

During the sentencing hearing, Hourigan's defense counsel stated that his client plans to appeal the conviction, maintaining his innocence and blaming O'Flynn. Hourigan testified that he had a good relationship with Foley and had asked him to be the godfather of his unborn child shortly before his partner allegedly killed Foley. He claimed he lied to gardaí in her interviews to protect her, believing she was pregnant at the time.

Caroline Foley, the deceased's eldest daughter, addressed Hourigan directly during her victim impact statement, emphasizing her father's role as a beloved grandfather and the "heart of our family."

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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 it.