Man accused of murdering Michael Foley in Cork told gardaí: 'That man was like an uncle to me'

The man who denies murdering 61-year-old Michael Foley at his home in Macroom said “that man was like and uncle to me” and he also said Mr Foley was grand when he left him with the words: “Michael, look after yourself”.

The prosecution case is that Michael Foley was murdered on February 1, 2024, at his home at Annville, Barrett’s Place, Macroom. Daniel Hourigan (32) who is originally from Farranree in Cork city pleaded not guilty to his murder.

Detective Garda Fintan Coffey gave evidence of the interviews gardaí carried out with the accused and memos of these were read to the jury at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork.

They were carried out between February 14 and February 16, 2024. In the first interview, Daniel Hourigan said to gardaí: “Why am I arrested when I done nothing? It is beyond me. What puts me here is what I want to know. You are trying to put me on a spot. I had no role… If you are looking for someone you are looking at the wrong person looking at me.”

Daniel Hourigan explained how he was distantly related to the late Michael Foley and said: “The man was like an uncle to me.” He said that he stayed in Michael’s home in Macroom in May/June 2023 and was not there since, and last spoke to him on December 17, 2023, when Michael brought some of his clothing to Cork city to return to him.

Gardaí went through maps on how to get to the deceased man’s house and Daniel Hourigan commented: “I am not doing your job for you. You are fishing… I want to see proper evidence linking me to it… I looked out for him and him for me… I am grieving for a friend and you are hurling questions at me.”

It was put to him in interview: “I know you were involved.” He replied: “Put your solid proof on the table.”

In a later interview he was shown CCTV which the gardaí said, showed Daniel Houriganand Linda O’Flynnarriving in Macroom on January 31, 2024, and leaving the following morning. He replied at interview: “All I am doing is getting on and off the bus. I am cooperating. I am not a murderer. I am innocent. Michael was grand that morning when we left. I got up and said, ‘Michael, look after yourself,’ and we left. Two weeks down the line I heard he was dead. I nearly had a heart attack.

“One sure thing, I did not kill Mick. He was alive that morning. I don’t care what anyone says, he was alive when we were leaving... He was alive that morning.”

Mr Hourigan later added in relation to that morning, February 1, 2024: “I had a small chat with Michael – any plans for the day? – usual chat.” It was put to him by the gardaí that a bag left in the cargo hold of the bus from Macroom to Cork on February 1, 2024, was later found to contain a knife with Michael Foley’s blood, and it was described to him as the murder weapon.

The defendant replied: “I don’t know anything about a murder weapon. I don’t anything about a black knife.”

Asked: “Why is Michael’s blood on the knife?” he replied: “I don’t know. Michael was alive the next morning when I was leaving, there is no more I can say.” 

In a later interview when Daniel Hourigan was told that an inference could be drawn from any answer he might give, he was asked: “Your left palm print in Michael Foley’s blood was on a door frame at his home… where his dead body was discovered on February 6, 2024.” Mr Hourigan replied: “No comment.” The trial before Ms Justice Siobhán Lankford and a jury of six men and six women continues on July 10.

Prosecution senior counsel Jane Hyland explained what was meant by the response to the murder charge made by the accused when he said: “Not guilty of murder but guilty of assisting an offender under Section 7 Subsection 2 of the Criminal Law Act 1997.” 

She said that in non-legal language: “What that means is that he is saying to you that he helped another person when they committed an offence to prevent them being caught,” but that he is not guilty of murder.