Tributes f low for mother killed in samurai attack
Community in shock at death of M&S worker
‘That’s why we’re so shocked by this’
Meat cleaver and sword discovered
FRIENDS and neighbours have paid tribute to a mother-of-two killed in a samurai sword attack in Dublin at the weekend.
Jean Eagers, 57, died after she was allegedly attacked with a samurai sword at her home in Hartstown, Clonsilla.
Her husband William is in hospital and is expected to be questioned by gardaí.
Their son, who raised the alarm, was assisting gardaí yesterday.
Ms Eagers’s work colleagues at Marks & Spencer in Blanchardstown Shopping Centre yesterday called to her home to lay flowers and pay tribute to her.
Hartstown Parish Priest, Fr Joe Coyne, said that he had spoken to Ms Eagers’s son-in-law and that the whole family is in deep shock.
‘They are hardly able to talk, as you can expect. I don’t represent the family and I can only offer comfort. I don’t know how much of an ally I can be, except to be there if they need me,’ he said.
He said that he saw Ms Eagers’s work colleagues bring flowers to the house yesterday.
‘So many people knew her from the shopping centre, both as shoppers and as friends and she was very well known in the community,’ he said.
Fr Coyne added that the Willow Wood Grove estate, where she lived, was a small area where everyone knew each other.
‘It’s not some vast complex where people wouldn’t know each other. Everyone knew her from going up and down the road and she was very well liked,’ he said.
He added that he is now waiting to make funeral arrangements, if the Eagers family wish.
‘The only way through a situation like this is to enter into the pain with the family. It can’t be a half measure. You have to allow yourself into the deep sadness and know that hope and love will eventually overcome the grief and that humanity will rise through it all,’ he said. ‘Getting through that pain and processing... it is something that can be done together because nobody should be facing this on their own.’
Hartstown Green Party councillor, Daniel Whooley, said that the community rallied together very effectively during the coronavirus lockdown and said he and his councillor colleagues are in shock. ‘It’s a working-class estate and people know each other,’ he said.
‘Fingal Council set up a programme in response to the coronavirus to make such families got supplies they needed and people in the area had been helping each other out with that and making deliveries at the weekend.
‘People were united and that’s why we are so shocked by this.’ The Blanchardstown Shopping Centre yesterday released a statement paying tribute to Ms Eagers. ‘On behalf of the management and staff of Blanchardstown Centre, we would like to send our deepest condolences to family, friends and colleagues of Jean Eagers,’ it said.
‘Jean was a long-standing, valued staff member of M&S Blanchardstown Centre and will be sadly missed.’
Dozens of people posted tributes in response. Garda clerk Margaret Spratt wrote: ‘Absolutely Horrific. Deepest Condolences. Thoughts and prayers with Jean’s family, friends and work colleagues at this extremely difficult time. May Jean Rest In Peace.’
Ms Eagers posted regularly on Facebook, showing a great love for her children and she was looking forward to celebrating her 20th wedding anniversary this year.
She also posted many prayers and religious sayings. ‘God has seen you struggling with something. God says it’s over! A blessing is coming your way,’ one positive post reads.
Another shows a religious candle, a rose and a dove.
‘Keep this candle burning all across the world for our Loved
Ones in Heaven,’ the post reads.
A postmortem on Ms Eagers’s body was expected to be carried out yesterday.
Gardaí rushed to her house at around 11.30am on Sunday but a man blocked them from entering and could be heard shouting at the gardaí to drop their weapons.
When gardaí rushed in, they found Ms Eagers with very serious injuries.
Weapons, including a samurai sword and a meat cleaver, were recovered and are being examined by gardaí.
Emergency services treated Ms Eagers but she was declared dead at the scene.
Her body was taken to the City Morgue where a postmortem examination was due to be carried out yesterday by Deputy State Pathologist Dr Kathleen Han.
The scene was examined by members of the Garda Technical Bureau.