'Every day is getting harder': Mother whose 3 children were killed by their older brother inconsolable after funeral
SOUTH DUBLIN, IRELAND: The heartbroken mother of three children who were killed by their older brother in their own home has revealed how "every day is getting harder" since the tragedy.
Margaret Cash McDonagh was devastated when her children, twins Christy and Chelsea Cawley, eight, and their older sister Lisa Cash, 18, were massacred in their home in Rossfield Avenue in Tallaght, South Dublin on Sunday, September 4. The 40-year-old mother, endearingly called 'Twink', remembered her deceased kids in an emotional post on social media, three weeks after their funeral that moved the community to tears.
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"Goodnight my three beautiful children. My two lovely girls and my handsome son," she wrote, as quoted by the Irish Mirror. "I love and miss you all more every day. Mommy's three angels forever." A previous social media post saw the distraught mum grieve her loss and note the void left in her heart. "My three lovely angels. I will love and miss you for the rest of my life," she wrote. "Every day is getting harder without you. Mommy loves you."
Heartbreaking video of eight-year-old twins Chelsea and Christy Cawley and 18-year-old Lisa Cash who were killed in the Rossfield estate in Tallaght.
— Dublin News Live (@DublinNewsLive) September 5, 2022
Credit: Ann Wall pic.twitter.com/JwTLsDzEAI
Christy, Chelsea, and Lisa were laid to rest in Bohernabreena Cemetery in Dublin on Sept 9 in a touching ceremony that saw the children's coffins carried on horse-drawn carriages while the streets were lined with crowds.
Heartbreaking scenes in Tallaght as Lisa Cash, Chelsea Cawley and Christy Cawley are laid to rest
— Nicole Gernon (@nicole_gernon) September 9, 2022
Hundreds of mourners packed St Aidan's Church & Grounds to pay their respects@VirginMediaNews pic.twitter.com/BnjEEqOMvj
Andy Cash, 24, their older brother, has been charged with stabbing his three younger siblings to death in the early hours on September 4 at their Tallaght residence. Cash appeared before a special sitting of Dublin District Court the next day. On September 9, the suspect appeared before Cloverhill district court video link from the Midlands Prison in Portlaoise. He reportedly did not respond when asked to confirm his name and is scheduled to appear before the court again on October 6 for directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions.
This is Andy Cash. He replied no comment when charged with the murder of his three siblings.
— Garreth MacNamee (@garmacnamee) September 5, 2022
Full story here. https://t.co/WP1yvxL8wq pic.twitter.com/T0EwQVP1QW
Andy is said to have stabbed Lisa and the twins while their 14-year-old brother, who hasn't been identified, managed to escape the ordeal through a window and called for help. Lisa, whose body was found riddled with stab wounds at the bottom of the stairs, was reportedly babysitting at the time of the tragedy.
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The congregation at their funeral heard how twins Chelsea and Christy were Lisa's "whole life" and that she was the "mammy" of her friend group. One of her pals in that group bemoaned they did not know how they would move forward without her. "I will never forget you. My heart is completely shattered," they said. "You were my best friend. You were the mammy of the group. How are we meant to do this without you? You had so many plans for your future. A piece of my heart is completely broken. They were your whole life. You were always there for them and when you weren't there you were talking about them."
A vigil and balloon release this evening outside the home where Christy, Chelsea Cawley and their sister Lisa Cash were killed in Tallaght. pic.twitter.com/bY6iqIzBlM
— Paul Healy (@Healyhack) September 5, 2022
Meanwhile, voicing the community's heartache, Fr Paul O'Driscoll said, "Bereft of words, all of us hold the same question, how could this be happening?"