How a mother told her daughter Daddy was dead

Rodney Edwards • Published 22 Jul 2010 16:00

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"I don't know how to tell you this pet but your Daddy has gone to heaven".

The words no mother wants to have to tell their child. But for one Fermanagh family this week, they had to do just that.

36-year-old Ciaran Woods was stabbed to death following an altercation at a house in the Edenmore area of Tempo on Tuesday morning.

A 37-year-old woman was also stabbed and was treated in hospital for injuries. Her condition is not thought to be life-threatening.

A man was still being questioned by police yesterday in relation to the incident after they applied for a 36-hour extension at Enniskillen Court.

The dead man is the father of seven-year-old Erin. He has been described as a man with "a big heart and good nature" and a "loving, caring, brilliant father".

Speaking to The Impartial Reporter yesterday, Mr. Woods' former partner Bronagh McDonnell paid tribute to her daughter's "wonderful" father.

"He called her his little princess, that's all he ever said. It broke my heart having to tell her that he was dead. There are no words that you could say. It's just total shock. He was a brilliant father, a really brilliant father. He looked after the child so well. He was very good natured and had a heart of gold. He always looked out for everybody else, never mind himself. He was very caring and loving. Erin was number one priority and she was always with him. They did everything together. They went to football matches. They went to the Cinema. They went to the park, had picnics. She loved him so much.

"Erin is very upset. I told her Daddy had gone to heaven and she broke down in bits. She's not saying anything now and is very quiet but it's heart breaking. Me and my daddy, that's all she would ever say. She always said that first when she'd go to speak. You text my daddy, she'd say. You tell my daddy to phone me. Every weekend she'd ask me to get her daddy round so she could go away with him. She loved him and he loved her. Ciaran and I were the best of friends and I'll never allow Erin to forget her daddy," she said.

The female stab victim has been named locally as Kate McQuaid, a mother of two young children, both of whom were not at home at the time of the murder.

It's believed Mr. Woods, the attacker and another man were in the bungalow with Ms. McQuaid when an alteration broke out during the early hours of Tuesday morning.

The Impartial Reporter understands that after Mr. Woods was stabbed, Ms. McQuaid tried to flee the scene in a car. It's believed she got into a black vehicle at the house but the man caught up with her and stabbed her in the abdomen.

Ms. McQuaid and the other man then took refuge in the house of neighbour Seamus Campbell, while the man drove off in the car.

Mr. Campbell reportedly revealed on Tuesday how the injured woman turned up at his doorstep "covered in blood", screaming that a man was dead in her kitchen.

It's understood the attacker then escaped in the car, which collided with a police vehicle on the Tattymoyle Road near Fintona. He was subsequently arrested and was still being questioned by police yesterday evening.

Both the car the attacker was travelling in and the police vehicle remained on the road for sometime on Tuesday. When this newspaper approached the scene we were asked to leave by police who wouldn't comment further.

Back near the house, the mood was sombre. A neighbour living opposite the murder scene told The Impartial Reporter of her shock: "We couldn't believe it when we heard what had happened. It's always so quiet around here. That house was always quiet. There was never any trouble that I know of. You hear about things like this happening everywhere else but to have it here is just dreadful," she said.

Another neighbour said: "I heard the ambulance flying up the road after four this morning. Have you ever heard anything like it in your life? It's just shocking that something like that could happen here," he said.

Lisnaskea priest Father Ian Fee who has been comforting Mr. Woods' grieving family said yesterday: "They are in a state of shock as you'll imagine. Their minds are focused on their loss and that shock and nothing else at the moment. They are finding it extremely difficult to come to terms with this and are requesting privacy at this time. We are very blessed in this community to have such a strong community and I know the family have been got great comfort from that and by their prayers and their love," he said.

Father Fee added: "Ciaran came from a family who are very much in the heart of our community here. He is such a strong member of the community and was so well liked. He was a big part of the Lisnaskea Emmetts family, which many people will recognise. But in life his two loves was his football and his daughter. That's where his heart lay."

Tributes for Mr. Woods poured in on Facebook yesterday. Joanne Moore wrote: "Shocking. God love the family during this difficult time. Rest in peace Ciaran". Paddy McFarland wrote: "Such a shocking and terrible thing to happen to such a really good decent lad. My thoughts and prayers to all of your loved ones." Colette Johnston recalled Ciaran from school: "Such sad news, RIP, my thoughts are with his family and friends." Carolann Smyth wrote: "Oh my god I can't believe it. We used to play football on the green at Drumhaw when we were kids my thoughts are with his family and his daughter." Aoife McGovern said she couldn't "get her head around it," while Collette McCaffrey wrote: "RIP Ciaran. It's just not fair. You are in my thoughts."

Ciaran Woods is survived by his parents Breege and John. His sisters, Lorna, Shauna, Claire, Yvonne, Donna and Elaine and his brothers Martin, Brian and John. He is predeceased by his brother Oliver who died in a tragic road accident in 1995.

It's believed no plans for Mr. Wood's funeral have yet been made.

A number of public representatives expressed their shock including Counncillor Bernice Swift, a family friend. She said: "I send my heartfelt condolences to all Ciaran's family, to Bronagh and Ciaran's many good friends at this extremely tragic time. This shocking murder is particularly hard to accept especially as we remember Ciaran as someone who was very generous of spirit, the kind of person you were always happy to meet due to his great personality, usually smiling, always caring, he was one of those unique, very friendly and kind people who enjoyed life. My thoughts are with everyone at this time".

Police given more time to quiz suspect

Police in Fermanagh have been given an extension to the time they are allowed to question a 35-year-old man they are holding, in relation to the stabbing incident earlier this week.

Police applied for the 36-hour extension at Fermanagh Magistrates Court yesterday(Wednesday) morning which will take the period of time for questioning up to this afternoon(Thursday).

This article appeared in Impartial Reporter 22 Jul 10

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