The Marrinan family stood square behind their brother and son Seamus as he faced a charge of murdering his mother.
Family unites behind son as he faces murder charge 
Edwin McGreal Castlebar CASTLEBAR woke up on Tuesday morning to news of a murder in the town and the shock was compounded when it became known that the victim was Carmel Marrinan, a popular and highly respected mother and nurse.
The late Mrs Marrinan, of Blackfort, Newport Road, Castlebar had worked as a nurse at the Sacred Heart (County) Home in the town, a nursing home on the Pontoon Road.
The mother of seven was found by Gardaí with stab wounds in her house at Blackfort on the Newport Road in Castlebar, a short distance from St Gerald’s College, when they arrived at 3.45am on Tuesday morning.
Ambulance personnel were attempting to resuscitate the woman in the hallway of the two storey house. She was brought to Mayo General Hospital but died a short time later.
Mrs Marrinan (nee Freeman) was a native of Tooreen, Ballyhaunis.
The shock evident in the town from early Tuesday was compounded by disbelief when gardaí confirmed they had arrested Mrs Marrinan son Seamus, (29) and charged him with the murder of his mother.
As he was ushered into the courthouse last Wednesday before a special sitting of Castlebar District Court, members of his family wept. Charged with the murder of his mother Carmel, Seamus Marrinan sat facing the court.
Behind the accused his family sat, linking hands and offering words of support to their son and brother during the short sitting. His father, Seamus Snr, was in the middle of the bench with some of his sons and daughters on either side of him and members of the extended family also present.
Detective Sergeant James Carroll told Judge Mary Devins at the special sitting of Castlebar District Court of the arrest of the accused at Blackfort, Castlebar. Detective Sergeant Carroll brought the accused to Castlebar Garda Station and charged him with the murder of his mother at 2.42pm, to which Seamus Marrinan replied guilty to the charge.
Judge Devins remanded the defendant in custody to Castlerea jail to appear before Castlebar District Court tomorrow (Wednesday) at 10.30am. She also requested immediate psychiatric assessment.
After he had been arraigned Seamus Marrinan asked Judge Devins if he could address the court.
Judge Devins rose to allow the accused to consult with his solicitor. At this stage Seamus Marrinan Snr came forward to talk to his son and, offering his support, he had his arm around him as he listened while his son explained what he wanted to say.
When proceedings ended Seamus Marrinan was embraced by members of his family, some of whom poignantly said ‘we love you Seamus’.
Solicitor for Seamus Marrinan, Aidan Crowley, told the court that his client had been arrested at 3.58am on the morning of Tuesday, July 7 and that from then until the sitting of the court, over 37 hours later, he had not been able to undergo any psychiatric assessment.
Mr Crowley told the court that Seamus Marrinan had been brought for assessment on the Tuesday morning but the relevant authorities had refused to assess him on the basis that he was the subject of a criminal investigation.
Mr Crowley also outlined that he had visited the accused on the Tuesday morning for one hour and that today he felt the accused was in a worse state than the day previously.
Prior to the court sitting the only medical intervention he had received had come from the family GP, Dr Alice Beirne, and he had received psychiatric medication from Dr Beirne but the relevant authorities would not assess him.
Superintendent Willie Keaveney told the court that the psychiatric services refused to assess Seamus Marrinan while he was in custody at Castlebar Garda Station.
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Castlebar remembers ‘wonderful family person’ AS Castlebar still came to grips with the shock of the sudden and tragic death of Carmel Marrinan, those who knew her well attempted to put words on the loss.
Living at Blackfort on the Newport Road, a short distance past St Gerald’s College, Bernie Downes (pictured) is a neighbour of the family and was very friendly with the deceased.
She recalled a wonderful family person.
‘She was so cheerful and pleasant,’ said Mrs Downes. ‘She was like a sister to me. We were always popping in and out of each other's houses. If I ever had any problem, she was the first one I would turn to.’
"One of her sons (eldest son Brendan) got married recently in Galway and he was just back from the honeymoon. She was over here telling me all about the wedding and in the best of form.
"Just last weekend she had her first grandchild, a little girl, stay with her for the first time and she was over the moon with that," she said.
The Marrinans are a well known family in Castlebar with a strong involvement in many local organisations. One of those is Castlebar Mitchels. Mrs Marrinan’s bereaved husband Seamus is a club stalwart and club chairman Michael Diskin admitted that like many people in the town, he was struggling to come to terms with the news.
“This is an absolute tragedy,” Mr Diskin said. “The whole family on all sides are steeped in the GAA. The family are well known and hugely respected. The club is devastated over the tragedy.”
Local priest Fr Fergal Cunnane said the community of Castlebar was deeply saddened by the nurse’s horrific death.
“The entire community is greatly saddened by her untimely death. There is widespread compassion for the family and colleagues of the deceased,” he said. “We keep in our prayers her family and all who journey with them at this tragic and sensitive time.”
Castlebar Town Councillor Frank Durcan was unable to attend the council meeting on Thursday night but, prior to that, expressed his shock.
“You couldn’t get a nicer family in the town. She was a perfect lady,” Mr Durcan said. “A more respectable family you couldn’t get, it’s very tragic.’
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‘Stunned disbelief’ in Tooreen
Michael Commins IN Carmel Marrinan’s home area of Tooreen, news of the tragedy left many of her former neighbours reeling with shock. Carmel was one of the Freeman family from Kinnegha and her brothers were synonymous with the Tooreen hurling team in former times, winning several county senior medals along the way.
During her time growing up in Tooreen, locals knew her as Mary Carmel, a name that many of her generation in the village still called her after all the years.
Former chairman of Tooreen Hurling Club, Jimmy Connor, summed up the mood of the people of the region when he said the sad news from Castlebar had touched the hearts of all in the Tooreen neighbourhood.
“The reaction was pure stunned disbelief. We couldn’t believe it. Mary Carmel was gone a long time from the area but the family have very deep roots here. Her three brothers, Seamus (home), Eamonn (Cork) and Michael (Dublin) all hurled with Tooreen back the years. Her sister Bridie lives in Sligo. They are salt of the earth people, the kind any community would love to have in their midst.
“Our hearts go out to her husband Seamus and all members of the Marrinan and Freeman families. The very large contingent who travelled from Tooreen and Aghamore to the funeral in Castlebar reflected the sadness and sorrow felt by our community on this immensely sad occasion,” said Jimmy Connor.
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Council sympathise on ‘worst nightmare’ Edwin McGreal Castlebar LAST Thursday’s July monthly meeting of Castlebar Town Council was adjourned as a mark of respect to the late Carmel Marrinan who died tragically last week.
The meeting lasted just a few short minutes as councillors paid tribute to the late Mrs Marrinan (61) who was killed the previous Tuesday.
Proposing that the meeting be adjourned, Councillor Ger Deere spoke of the ‘terrible tragedy’.
“It has plunged the whole town into a deep sense of shock. I know the family well. They are actively involved in a lot of local organisations.”
In reference to some headlines in a national paper, Cllr Deere asked the national media to ‘cover the matter sensitively and give privacy to the family’.
The motion was seconded by Cllr Blackie Gavin who said the town was ‘truly touched’ by the tragedy.
Cllr Noreen Heston echoed Ger Deere’s calls for sensitivity and privacy while Cllr Brendan Henaghan and Cllr Harry Barrett both said all that could be done was to prayer for the family.
Mayor of Castlebar Cllr Michael Kilcoyne said it was ‘the worst nightmare a family could endure’
“It shows how fragile life is. I certainly couldn’t call it an act of God because it certainly wasn’t that. The family have not only lost a mother but the agony is only beginning because they will have to face a trial (of their son and brother Seamus).”
Cllr Frank Durcan sent his apologies for not attending while Cllr Eugene McCormack and Cllr Therese Ruane were both out of the country.
