Murderer admitted to being a jealous man

It was the belief that his wife was having an affair with a prominent publican that turned a "hard-working family man" into a murderer. He killed his wife with a mallet and kitchen knife and then shot her alleged lover dead.

Yesterday, Declan Power (46), who had been pleading guilty during a brief hearing at Dublin's Central Criminal Court received two life sentences.

On March 7th, 2002, Power's wife, Joan (40), made a trip to Dublin. It heightened her husband's suspicion she was having an affair with her former employer, the Co Waterford publican Mr Maurice "Mossie" Curran (46).

The events of March 9th would leave the local community in a small village in deep shock and shatter the lives of two families.

Mr Curran was a wealthy business man who had been active on the national executive of the Vintners Federation of Ireland and was president of West Waterford Golf Club. He had previously worked for Waterford Crystal and bought The Decies Bar, Clashmore, Co Waterford, in the early 1990s.

He was married, to Veronica, and had two grown up daughters - Éimear and Deirdre - and a 14-year-old son, Darragh. He had met Mrs Power when she worked at his bar.

Mrs Power also had three children, Marie, John and Gemma. Just before her death she had worked in a butcher's shop in Dungarvan, Co Waterford. Her husband worked as a mechanic.

Declan Power admitted to gardaí he was a jealous man and was possessive of his wife. When Mrs Power returned from her trip to Dublin he confronted her. He put it to her that she had been having an affair.

He flew into a rage and during the argument attacked his wife with a mallet, before killing her with a kitchen knife at the home they shared in Bawnacomera, Kinsalebeg, Ardmore, Co Waterford.

He then set off for the village of Clashmore, the location of Mr Curran's pub. He confronted Mr Curran in the bar, where a scuffle broke out shortly after 3 a.m. and Mr Curran was shot twice in the pub and a third, fatal, time on the street outside.

Immediately after the killings, Power made no effort to hide what he had done. Indeed, after taking his wife's life he rang gardaí and informed them what had happened.

The information he supplied led to the discovery by gardaí of her body, while a taxi-driver to discovered Mr Curran's body.

After he contacted gardaí in Youghal, Co Cork, early on March 9th, a garda search for Power was launched.

Power, who was said to be very distressed while speaking to gardaí by phone, maintained contact with them and agreed to give himself up. He met detectives at Goat Island, three miles outside Ardmore, at 11.15 a.m. on March 9th, 2002. A shotgun was found at the scene.

Yesterday Power's children were in court to hear the double life sentence being handed down on their father.