Man, 21, given life sentence for murder of Cork postman Barry Daly

The brutal murder of postman Barry Daly in Doneraile was a tragedy which affected not just his family and loved ones but the families of the young people involved in the killing and indeed the whole community, the sentencing judge said today as Alex Deady was jailed for life for the crime.

“The community of Doneraile was changed forever on October 12 last year by the passing of Mr Daly, and the circumstances surrounding the death had a huge impact on them,” Ms Justice Siobhán Lankford said at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork today.

Alex Deady, now aged 21, of Glenview, Convent Road, Doneraile, County Cork, was given the mandatory life sentence for the murder of 44-year-old postman Barry Daly at Rockview Terrace in Doneraile on October 12, 2025.

Regarding the late Barry Daly, Judge Lankford said family had been the most important thing for him. 

Describing him as an exemplary person, the judge said he had had reached out to many people in the course of his life and his work, not least in terms of his support of isolated and elderly people during his work as a postman. 

The judge referred to one elderly man who said that the brief chats that he had with Barry Daly delivering post to his home were in fact the only contact he had with anyone in the course of his day and that because of his death he feels he has nobody in his life.

In terms of victim impact, the judge said that this obviously fell most heavily on his partner Katie O’Reilly, their four sons, his other adult son and the entire Daly and O’Reilly families.

“The loss of Barry Daly left a huge hole in their lives… and he cannot be replaced. 

“The circumstances of his death were a brutal action which took his life. The action was not prolonged but it was certainly a very brutal action,” the judge said.

Tom Creed senior counsel for the accused said Alex Deady always acknowledged his responsibility for the death of Mr Daly by pleading guilty to manslaughter. This was not acceptable to the prosecution. 

Ms Justice Lankford said the state had taken the correct view and that the jury agreed, finding Alex Deady guilty of murder. Alex Deady does not accept the jury verdict.

A 17-year-old who was also convicted of murder and a 16-year-old who admitted manslaughter were both in court today, where defence submissions were made and reports were also submitted from psychiatrists and from the probation service in relation to both of them. 

Ms Justice Lankford will impose sentence on them on September 11.