Determination on the extent of the inquest into the deaths of the McGinley children soon to be announced, according to the coroner
In a significant development, the coroner's inquests into the deaths of Conor McGinley (9), Darragh McGinley (7), and Carla McGinley (3) are scheduled to take place before the end of 2025. This confirmation came from Senior Coroner Myra Cullinane at a brief hearing of the Dublin District Coroner’s Court in July 2025, five years after the children's bodies were discovered in January 2020.
The tragic incident occurred at the family home in Newcastle, Co Dublin, where their mother, Deirdre Morley, a paediatric nurse, took the lives of her children by asphyxia. Morley was found not guilty of murder by reason of insanity in May 2021.
However, the scope of the forthcoming inquests is yet to be fully determined. The father, Andrew McGinley, has requested that the inquest’s scope be widened to include the psychiatric care his wife received in the two years preceding the tragedy. A decision on this request is expected in the coming weeks, but as of now, no final determination has been made as to whether the psychiatric care provided to their mother will form part of the inquest.
Dr Cullinane has made an application for legal aid for Deirdre Morley, but the final decision lies with the Legal Aid Board. Nora-Pat Stewart, counsel for Morley, has also sought the disclosure of Morley's medical records in full, unredacted, for the purposes of the inquest.
Counsel at a previous inquest hearing outlined Mr McGinley's belief that his wife's condition had not been properly diagnosed and she had not been properly treated. Mr McGinley hopes for an extended scope of the inquest to shed light on these concerns.
Submissions were also received from the Health Service Executive (HSE) concerning the scope of the inquiry. The coroner will disclose reports prepared by two forensic psychiatrists who assessed Morley following the deaths.
Andrew McGinley, who discovered the bodies of his children, expressed his relief that the inquest into their deaths is moving forward. He believes he was not properly involved in his wife's diagnosis and treatment in relation to its nature, extent, and symptoms.
The inquest aims to be a clear and transparent process, contingent on engagement by all parties involved. A transcript of the criminal trial and the contents of a Garda investigation file will also be disclosed. Witnesses will be considered at the inquest, which has been adjourned to October.
[1] https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/court-report/2021/05/17/deirdre-morley-found-not-guilty-of-murder-of-her-three-children/ [4] https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/court-report/2020/05/25/deirdre-morley-found-not-guilty-of-murder-of-her-three-children-by-reason-of-insanity/
- The father, Andrew McGinley, has expressed his desire for the inquest's scope to expand beyond the immediate circumstances leading to the children's deaths, and include his concerns about his wife's mental health treatment and diagnosis in the two years preceding the tragedy, which falls under the category of health-and-wellness and mental-health.
- Dr Cullinane, the coroner, has made an application for legal aid for Deirdre Morley, and counsel for Morley, Nora-Pat Stewart, has requested the disclosure of Morley's unredacted medical records for the purposes of the inquest, highlighting the connection between the investigation and the fields of science and mental-health.
