Clodagh and boys' memorial mass to take place

A memorial mass for Clodagh Hawe (nee Coll) and sons Liam (13), Niall (11) and Ryan (6), marking the first year anniversary of their deaths, will take place this weekend at the family's parish church in Castlerahan.

Devoted mum Clodagh and her three young boys were murdered at the home they shared at Barcony near Ballyjamesduff, by their father Alan Hawe, on August 29, 2016.

The memorial service will take place at Castlerahan Church on Sunday morning next.

Their murder suicide devastated the local community and rocked the whole country in the week that the children and their parents, both teachers, were due to go back to school. Clodagh was a primary school teacher in Oristown in Co Meath.

The body of Mr Hawe, a Kilkenny-native, who was vice-principal at the local primary school, was exhumed in May earlier this year, before being cremated at Glasnevin Cemetery in Dublin.

The inquest into their deaths is expected to take place later this year. Gardaí continue to treat the investigation as one of murder suicide, and have said previously that they are not looking for anyone else in relation to the deaths.

Clodagh's family meanwhile have managed to raise tens of thousands of euros for national domestic violence support charity, Women's Aid. Most recently the group raised in excess of €30,000 after leading a large group from across the region in participating in the Women's Mini Marathon. The initiative is feeding into the overall ‘Lighthouse' campaign, aimed at developing a refuge service in the region in honour of Clodagh and her three boys.