Gardaí not seeking anyone else in connection with Cobh deaths

Gardaí have said they are not looking for anyone else in connection with an incident in which a man was found dead, his wife stabbed to death and their 21-year-old daughter left critically injured.

The bodies of Michael Greaney (53) and his wife, Valerie (49), were discovered in their house at O'Neill Place in Cobh, Co Cork, and their eldest daughter, Michelle, was lying in the road after fleeing the house.

Officers were alerted when they received a call from a neighbour after the Greaneys’ youngest daughter, Sarah (16), ran to the house in a distraught state after her mother told her to tell the neighbours to get gardaí.

Two officers found Michelle Greaney in a critical condition with a single stab wound close to her heart lying on the roadside in front of St Colman's Cemetery on Carrignafoy Avenue, yards from the end-of-terrace two-storey house where the attack took place.

Emergency services

Paramedics were quickly on the scene and worked for 20 minutes on Ms Greaney before taking her by ambulance to Cork University Hospital, where she was last night in a critical but stable condition.

Meanwhile, gardaí entered the house and found Valerie Greaney in the hall with multiple stab wounds, while Michael Greaney was found upstairs with a stab wound to the chest.

Both were pronounced dead at the scene by a local GP.

Assistant State pathologist Dr Margot Bolster arrived at the scene at about 7pm and carried out a preliminary examination on the bodies before they were removed to Cork University Hospital, where she will begin postmortems today.

A Garda technical team began a forensic examination of the scene last night. Officers also carried out door-to-door inquiries.

Supt John Quilter of Midleton Garda station, who is leading the investigation, described the deaths and the injury to Ms Greaney as "a terrible tragedy" and confirmed that they were not looking for anybody else in connection with the attacks.

Sarah Greaney was last night said to be "deeply traumatised" and was being cared for by relatives.

Hospital

Mr Greaney had returned to the family home in recent weeks after being discharged from the Central Mental Hospital in Dublin in November.

A physiotherapist and a counsellor with a practice in Cobh, Mr Greaney was also a minister of the Eucharist at St Colman’s Cathedral and had served communion at Christmas Day Mass.