Jury finds Daniel Hourigan guilty of murdering Michael Foley in Cork

The 33-year-old man on trial for murdering a 61-year-old man at his home in Macroom in February 2024 was found guilty of the murder this afternoon.

The jury of six men and six women deliberated for a total of ten hours and 18 minutes, commencing their deliberations last Wednesday afternoon,  and then throughout Thursday, Friday and today.

They found 33-year-old Daniel Hourigan who is originally from Farranree guilty of murdering 61-year-old Michael Foley on February 1, 2024, at his home at Annville, Barrett’s Place, Macroom.

Ms Justice Siobhán Lankford said: “This obviously was a difficult case to hear and be involved in. We are very grateful for your service.” 

The judge excused the jurors from any further jury service for a period of five years.

While the accused man now faces the mandatory sentence of life imprisonment there will be a sentencing hearing where the family of the deceased will have an opportunity to give a victim impact statement.

The sentencing date was listed for July 30.

The jury knew as a matter of fact that when Daniel Hourigan and his companion Linda O’Flynn left the house at Annville at around 11am on February 1, 2024, and got the bus back to Cork city, Michael Foley was dying but was not dead.

Neringa Stalioniene (43) – a platonic friend of the late Michael Foley – called to the deceased’s house at 12.32pm on February 1 and he was still alive then.

“I opened the door, It was not locked. I thought he would be sleeping or still drinking. The first sound I heard when I entered was he shouted to get out of my house. He sounded very very drunk. It sounded like something in his throat. I didn’t see him. I did not go further than one step into the house because he is landlord and I didn’t want any confrontation with him. 

"I didn’t hear anyone in the house this time. I think the TV was on in the background. I closed the door and left the house.” 

Mr Foley's body was not discovered until February 5 when a nurse called to check on him. Friends of the late Michael Foley said the deceased was a man with a long term drink problem but that with some support in managing his medical appointments and related matters he managed to live independently, had pride in his appearance and always kept his house tidy.

Psychiatric nurse Ciara Harmon said Michael Foley moved into his home at Macroom in October 2022, and had the assistance of a care team. He was on medication for cardiovascular and stomach issues. She said he had some difficulties with alcohol and would drink Smirnoff vodka neat and then drink Lucozade when he woke up the next morning. 

His accommodation in Macroom was managed by the Simon Community through Cork County Council.

He invited people struggling to find accommodation to stay at his home, both to support them and for the sake of companionship.

Ms Harmon was also the person who called to his home and found him lying dead in a pool of blood on the floor of his kitchen/living room.

Dr Margot Bolster, assistant state pathologist, said the injuries could have been inflicted by the long carving knife.

Dr Bolster said the wounds that she found on Mr Foley included eleven stab wounds, five of which were to the left arm, four to the chest, one to the abdomen and one to the thigh. Describing the 19 slash or incised wounds, Dr Bolster said 12 were to the forehead and seven were to the left elbow and arm.

One of the stab wounds pierced Mr Foley’s right lung leading to its collapse and one of the slash wounds penetrated his skull and caused the loss of a lot of blood. She said there was no evidence any one slash wound alone caused death in this case. She said it was a combination of all the stab and slash injuries that led to death of Michael Foley.

“Slash wounds and stab wounds led to extensive haemorrhage and death,” she said.

Ms Justice Siobhán Lankford told the jury before their deliberations that because Mr Hourigan had already pleaded guilty to preventing another person being caught so the jury did not need to concern themselves with that and added: “You have two verdicts open to you. The only job you have is to decide whether he is guilty of murder or not guilty of murder.” 

Daniel Hourigan’s then girlfriend Linda O’Flynn, who is originally from the Hollyhill area of Cork, was mentioned frequently throughout the trial. The jury were reminded that Mr Hourigan was the only person on trial and they did not need to concern themselves with her in their consideration of evidence in the trial which commenced on July 1. 

Ray Boland, defence senior counsel, said the person Daniel Hourigan was trying to prevent being caught was Linda O’Flynn because he understood at the time that she was pregnant with his child, but in fact she was not pregnant.

Jane Hyland, prosecution senior counsel, said, that in what the accused said to gardaí across several interviews, he was not trying to protect Ms O’Flynn but he was trying to protect himself. She said that he removed the murder weapon from the home of the deceased and that Daniel Hourigan’s palmprint was found in the house in the blood of the deceased.

Ms Hyland said that whatever happened that gave rise to the killing of Michael Foley, it occurred “in a flash”.