Death of man, 61, at home being treated as murder

A MURDER investigation has been launched after a man in his 60s was discovered dead in his home.

Michael Foley, 61, was found at his house in Macroom, Cork, on Tuesday. Gardaí had been treating his death as suspicious after they discovered his remains and it appeared he had suffered a violent death.

Last night, gardaí upgraded their investigation to murder after results of his postmortem examination were handed to officers. Mr Foley’s family paid tribute to him on

Morning Ireland yesterday, with his sister Mary O’Driscoll saying ‘Michael was a very, very nice person to get on with, very sociable. He’s going to be a terrible loss… It’s just devastating, absolutely devastating.’

Mr Foley’s death is the second tragedy to hit the family – his brother Timmy Foley was stabbed to death in a brutal attack by his ex-wife Rita O’Driscoll in 2018.

O’Driscoll was jailed for life for murdering Mr Foley in 2020. Mary O’Driscoll said: ‘My brother Timmy was murdered by his exwife. When Michael moved here a few years after his brother’s death, I always said to him, “How do you live there?”.

‘He always said he got comfort from it because he knew the same people that his brother Tommy knew.

‘He drew comfort from that. I just can’t come to terms with it, it’s just all too much to take in.’

Admitting it was ‘devastating to break the news’ to Mr Foley’s children, Ms O’Driscoll said the family are hoping to ‘get some answers’. ‘We’re just going to have to take each day as it comes. Grief is something you will never get over. We’re still in grief from our brother… All we can do is stick together and support one another.

‘We’re still not over our brother Timmy’s death, for this to come around a second time is just devastating,’ she added.

Anyone with information surrounding Mr Foley’s death is asked to contact Macroom Garda Station on 026 205 90, the Garda Confidential Line on 01 666 111, or any garda station.