THE MOTHER OF the two boys who were stabbed by their brother, who later took his own life, has spoken out about the tragedies for the first time.
Nine-year-olds Thomas and Paddy and their 21-year-old brother Jonathan were found dead last month in a murder-suicide.
Thomas and Paddy are believed to have been stabbed at their home in Charleville, and were discovered by another brother.
Suicide
Jonathan’s body was discovered some 15km away beside a river in Buttevant. He was Helen and Thomas O’Driscolls eldest son and had been adopted as a baby.
Speaking to UTV, Helen O’Driscoll said she wanted to speak out to prevent any other family going through the same thing.
She said she forgives her son for taking the lives of his two brothers, as she is his mother.
While saying that she believes the travelling community hate her for being so forgiving, but she says “she doesn’t give a hoot” what the world has to say about her boy as she knows the boy that she raised.
She urged anyone who was experiencing mental health issues to talk to someone, stating that “you can talk to your mother or your father, even if they’re not yours, if they reared you they loved you just as much as they love their own – talk to them”.
Helen paid tribute to her two twin boys, but went on to say that she could “never hate” her eldest son.
He’s just my baby boy, my pride and joy. My rock, he was the boat of our family.
Helplines
Samaritans 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org
Console 1800 247 247 – (suicide prevention, self-harm, bereavement)
Aware 1890 303 302 (depression anxiety)
Pieta House 01 601 0000 or email mary@pieta.ie - (suicide, self-harm, bereavement)
Teen-Line Ireland 1800 833 634 (for ages 13 to 19)
Childline 1800 66 66 66 (for under 18s)
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