| Clancy given three-week supply of pills despite his previous overdose October 4, 2009 — Ali Bracken, Crime Correspondent Shane Clancy, who carried out a murder-suicide in Bray seven weeks ago, was given a three-week supply of antidepressant medication by a pharmacy despite his doctor instructing he should only be supplied one week's dosage at a time because of a previous overdose. In an interview with the Sunday Tribune, Clancy's father Patrick claimed that even though his 22-year-old son informed a doctor that he had taken three weeks' worth of drugs in one day, he was still prescribed with more antidepressants. It is believed the Trinity student may have overdosed on the second batch of medication prior to murdering Sebastian Creane and then taking his own life. Toxicology results which will determine the level of drugs in his system are due back in the next few weeks. Two days after initially overdosing on his medication, Clancy went to see another GP and allegedly informed him about what he had done. Despite this, Patrick Clancy claims the GP prescribed a different antidepressant but left a note on the prescription telling the pharmacist to only supply Shane with one week of the drug at a time. When his son then went to fill the second prescription, the chemist asked him if he wanted to get the three-week prescription filled at once, and Shane said yes. "I don't know if he was attempting suicide when he took three weeks' worth of antidepressants in one day. I might never know. I don't want to be seen as pointing the finger at the doctors or the chemist, but surely if it said to only give him one week's supply at a time, the chemist should have followed that instruction," Patrick Clancy said. "I know in my heart and soul it was Shane's hand that took a life – but it wasn't his mind. I do not know how he got to that point. He spent 22 years on this planet as a wonderful, loving person. But people are now judging him on the last hour of his life… Shane put a high dosage of chemicals into his body and I've no doubt he reacted to that," Patrick Clancy added. Read original story with online comments here 'I have to tell people the type of person my son really was' October 4, 2009 — 'People are judging Shane Clancy on the last hour of his life,' his father Patrick says. 'But that's not the Shane I know and love.' He tells Ali Bracken about his son's descent into depression On Sunday morning seven weeks ago, Patrick Clancy got a knock at his front door that changed the course of his life. He was greeted by two gardaí standing on his front doorstep. Invited inside, it soon became clear they had come to deliver bad news. His son Shane's car had been discovered early that morning outside a house in Bray where a young man had been fatally stabbed and two others had been injured. The gardaí believed his son was responsible. "It was as if their words fell to the floor. I said, 'If you're looking for him, you're wasting your time.' I knew immediately that my son would not be able to inflict that on other people and still be alive; I knew he could not live with himself." His paternal intuition was right. The 22-year-old Trinity student was lying dead in the back garden of Sebastian Creane's family home in Cuala Grove, Bray. Gardaí had yet to discover his body, but Shane had turned the knife on himself after fatally stabbing Sebastian and injuring his ex-girlfriend Jennifer Hannigan and Sebastian's older brother Dylan in a knife attack. "It's not the Shane I know and love. He wouldn't hurt a fly. He was a pacifist. I know in my heart and soul it was Shane's hand that took a life – but it wasn't his mind. I do not know how he got to that point. He spent 22 years on this planet as a wonderful, loving person. But people are now judging him on the last hour of his life." The gardaí asked Patrick to try and phone his son that morning but it went straight to voicemail. "I don't blame the gardaí for not finding his body immediately. I'd like to thank the two gardaí who called to my house that day for how they handled it and all the gardaí involved in the investigation. In the next few days, it was hard to take in the circumstances of what happened. It goes against everything my son stood for." Shane's personality was light years away from what happened on that fateful night in Bray. In the seven weeks since his death, Shane's father has been trying to reconcile in his mind how the well-adjusted young man he helped raise could be capable of such mindless violence. Patrick is acutely aware of the sense of loss and pain the Creane family are experiencing as a result of his son's actions. "The last thing I want to do is upset the Creane family. Loss is loss. There are no words. I can't give them back their son, I wish I could. But I owe my son this much. I have to tell people about the type of person my son really was." Shane had no history of mental illness and lived life to the full. He was entering in his final year at Trinity College studying Irish and Biblical and Theological studies. He lived in an apartment in Dalkey and had cousins and an uncle living nearby. He regularly saw his father, who lives in neighbouring Dun Laoghaire, and his mother Leonie, who lives in Redcross, Co Wicklow, with her second husband Tony and their three children. Shane was a young man with a busy life. He didn't smoke or drink and had a large circle of friends and interests; he was passionate about the Irish language, keeping fit and travelling. "To describe what he did as out of character is an understatement. He was a happy, independent young man. To know him was to love him," adds his father. Patrick remembers his son as someone who was always reaching out to help others. When he was 10 or 11, his father brought Shane and his two younger brothers Liam (now 20) and Jake (now 18) to a pound shop. "I gave each of them a pound and the three of them ran in to spend it. When the two younger boys were paying for what they bought I asked Shane what he was buying. He pointed to a homeless man outside. He'd given him the money instead of spending it on himself. That was Shane." On his 21st birthday held in the Club in Dalkey, where he worked, Shane left a collection box for St Vincent de Paul for his guests to make a contribution rather than bring a gift. Last Christmas and the Christmas before, Shane phoned his father to say he'd be late up to visit him. "He was feeding the homeless in Stradbrook. The kind things he'd do wasn't something he'd tell people about. He'd be embarrassed if he could hear me talking about him now. He was a gentleman." What kind of a big brother was he? "He was the best," says Liam, with a simple shrug of his shoulders. "Always there for everyone." Feeling low Patrick knew his son was feeling low over the break-up of his relationship with Jennifer Hannigan. Shane had ended the three-year romance but never got over it. By the time he'd decided he wanted to reconcile with Jennifer, she had moved on and had begun dating Sebastian Creane. The pair were both students at the Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology. Shane was due to travel to Calcutta during the summer to do aid work but pulled out. "He told me he didn't feel up to it. He went to Thailand and Australia instead – one of his cousin's lives in Thailand so he visited him. The last time I saw him was a few days before he went. I asked him if Jen was going with him and he told me they broke up. 'Do you mind if I don't talk about it,' he said. I said 'of course'. He went to try and clear his head, to sort himself out. He was 22 and broken-hearted. When you're that age, you think it's the end of world. Himself and Jen were a lovely couple; she's a lovely girl. They were very happy whenever I saw them together. He was besotted with her and she was besotted with him," he recalls. "I think she knows what happened that night wasn't really him." Patrick was worried enough about his son to ring his nephew in Thailand to enquire about how he was getting on. "He said Shane was still a bit down but seemed better than when he first arrived. He was reading Barack Obama's autobiography. Obama was a hero of his, so was Ché Guevara. And Superman, he loved Superman." But when Shane returned from his trip, he was still suffering. His father didn't get a chance to see his son when he returned from his travels. During college term, Shane would call up to his dad's for dinner every Monday and Wednesday but during summertime, he'd see him less frequently Depression But Shane did see his mother Leonie and confided in her about how he couldn't seem to get over his depression. Then he went to the doctor with his mother. The GP prescribed Citrol, a brand of the antidepressant citalopram. Shane was taking it for about a week when he took the remaining three weeks' supply in one day, possibly an attempt at suicide. He told his mother what had happened. Two days later, she took her son to another GP. It was explained to the second doctor that Shane had taken a high dosage of Citrol two days previously. The GP prescribed Cipramil, another brand of citalopram. As this GP was aware Shane had misused antidepressants two days previously, it was instructed on the three-week prescription that the chemist should only supply Shane with one week of the drug at a time, according to his father. But when Shane went to fill the second prescription, the chemist asked him if he wanted to get the three-week prescription filled at once, and Shane said yes. It was Friday 14 August. His family believe Shane took another high dosage of antidepressants the next day. In the early hours of 16 August, Shane Clancy carried out his attack. "Shane was the type of person who was always careful about taking pills. If he had a Lemsip, he'd phone me to ask if he could take paracetamol as well a few hours later. I don't know if he was attempting suicide when he took three weeks' worth of antidepressants in one day. I might never know," says his father. "I don't want to be seen as pointing the finger at the doctors or the chemist but surely if it said to only give him one week's supply at a time, the chemist should have followed that instruction." Patrick believes no one should be put on antidepressants unless they're already undergoing counselling and that St John's Wort, the herbal treatment for depression, should still be available without prescription. "I think some people do need antidepressants. But the number of young people who are taking them is frightening and they seem to be very easy to get, as you know." In the aftermath of the tragedy in Bray, the Sunday Tribune visited five GPs and reported feeling depressed. Four of the five prescribed antidepressant medication. The purpose of this investigation was to establish how easy it would be to obtain a prescription for antidepressants under false pretences and highlight that people looking for help have a wait of several weeks or months for counselling in the public service. "I think every parent should ask their GP where they stand on antidepressants and in what circumstances they would prescribe them to their children. We all need to look at the relationship between doctors and pharmaceutical companies. Shane put a high dosage of chemicals into his body and I've no doubt he reacted to that. Some people take antidepressants and they don't agree with them. The consequences of that can be horrific." A joint inquest into the death of Shane Clancy and Sebastian Creane in the coming months could provide some answers for the two grieving families. It is possible that the two GPs who prescribed antidepressants as well as the chemist may be called to give evidence as to his state of mind. "It's easy to dramatise what happened. But we have to look at the bigger picture and ask why," says Patrick. "I hope that out of Shane and Sebastian's death some thing constructive can happen. We all never think things like this can happen to us. I did too until I got that knock on my door." Read original story with online comments here Family to raise antidepressant usage at Clancy inquest September 6, 2009 — by Ali Bracken, Crime Correspondent The family of a young man who carried out a murder-suicide in Bray three weeks ago are understood to be concerned about his use of antidepressants and intend to raise the issue at the inquest into his death. The Sunday Tribune has learned that members of Shane Clancy's family, from Dalkey in south Dublin, want to explore whether antidepressants could have in any way influenced his behaviour on the night he murdered Sebastian Creane (22), at his home in Bray in Co Wicklow, before turning the knife on himself. The Trinity College Dublin student also stabbed his former girlfriend Jennifer Hannigan and Creane's older brother Dylan in the attack. Both have recovered from their injuries. A source close to the family said some members of the family plan to research antidepressants and speak to the appropriate experts about the medication as they are anxious to explore whether the pills could have influenced his behaviour. Family members believe the best place to raise these concerns will be at an inquest into the 22-year-old's death, which will be held at Wicklow Coroner's Court in several months' time. The two men's inquests will be dealt with at the same hearing by Wicklow east coroner Cathal Louth. If permitted by the coroner, expert witnesses could be called to give evidence about the impact antidepressants can have on a patient's behaviour. Clancy started taking antidepressant medication a week before the murder-suicide and had told friends that he did not like the way the drugs made him feel. Last week, a psychiatrist claimed that the murder-suicide in Bray would not have happened if Clancy had not been taking antidepressants. Dr Michael Corry, who is an outspoken critic of antidepressants, said: "If he was not on medication, he would not have done what he did. I would stake my career on that. "His behaviour was out of character. He went from homicidal to suicidal. It's a Jekyll and Hyde situation." Corry was not involved in the medical treatment of the 22-year-old. Other psychiatrists and GPs have since disagreed with Dr Corry's assessment. Read original story with online comments here Antidepressants: can they spur suicidal or homicidal thoughts? August 30, 2009 — by Ali Bracken Shane Clancy had been taking antidepressants for one week before he carried out a murder-homicide in Bray, Co Wicklow, 14 days ago. He had told friends he "didn't like how they made him feel" but continued to take them, the Sunday Tribune understands. No one other than Clancy knows what drove him to kill Sebastian Creane before turning the knife on himself. It is known he was jealous that the young man had begun dating his former girlfriend, Jennifer Hannigan – who he also tried to kill along with Creane's older brother Dylan before stabbing himself fatally in the back garden of the Creane family home. An inquest into the death of the young Trinity student may provide some answers. Depending on whether Clancy's parents have concerns over the effects the antidepressants were having on him, the debate over whether antidepressants can spur suicidal and homicidal thoughts – which has led to legal actions in the US – may be broached at the inquest, with expert witnesses called. The Sunday Tribune visited five GPs in last week and reported feeling depressed. Four out of the five prescribed antidepressant medication, despite the fact it was a first-time visit to each surgery and no counselling had been undertaken. Two leading psychiatrists have said they would not have prescribed me antidepressants and simple counselling would most likely have sufficed to solve the symptoms described. "If you'd come to me with that story of being depressed over the break-up of a relationship and losing your job, I would not have prescribed antidepressants," said Patricia Casey, professor of psychiatry at the Mater Hospital and University College Dublin. "I think we prescribe antidepressants far too easily in this country. It's not the GPs fault: they did not act improperly by prescribing you antidepressants; you fulfilled the criteria of being depressed. "The problem is definition of depression is far too broad. When people go to their GP and say they're not eating, sleeping or are unhappy because of a broken heart, they can get antidepressants. Technically, these people meet the criteria for major depression." Casey said some people can experience "unpleasant side-effects" from antidepressants, such as increased agitation and anxiety. Dr Michael Corry, a psychiatrist in private practice in Dublin and founder of 'Depression Dialogues', said he would not have prescribed me with antidepressants. "They are the new Valium. If someone has a setback and says they feel depressed, they can get these pills very easily. The problem is that when people take these chemicals into their body, they can often feel strange in their minds. "I have had clients say to me that in the first three to seven days, they feel totally out of character and worse than before. "Side-effects can be patients wanting to self-harm, commit suicide and harm others." Read original story with online comments here Antidepressants drove Clancy to kill — leading psychiatrist August 30, 2009 — Ali Bracken, Crime Correspondent A leading psychiatrist has claimed that the murder-suicide in Bray two weeks ago would not have happened if Shane Clancy had not been prescribed antidepressant medication. Dr Michael Corry, who is an outspoken critic of antidepressants, said: "If he was not on medication, he would not have done what he did. I would stake my career on that. His behaviour was out of character. He went from homicidal to suicidal. It's a Jekyll and Hyde situation." Clancy (22) started taking medication a week before he murdered Sebastian Creane and stabbed his former girlfriend Jennifer Hannigan before committing suicide. Clancy had told friends that he did not like the way the drugs made him feel and gardaí believe that he may have been misusing the medication by taking more than the recommended dosage. Dr Corry, who has a private practice in Dublin, said that the side affects of antidepressants can be severe when people initially take them. "In the first three to seven days [on antidepressants], people can feel totally out of character and worse than before. Side effects can be patients wanting to self-harm, commit suicide and harm others," he added. "antidepressants inhibit oxytocin, which is basically the self-love hormone. It results in an emotional numbing. People can be feeling no pain but not alive either." Professor Patricia Casey, professor of psychiatry at the Mater Hospital and University College Dublin, said that some people can experience "unpleasant side effects" from antidepressants, such as increased agitation and anxiety. However, she added she did not think this would occur in the first two weeks as it is accepted in the medical community that antidepressants do not work for up to 14 days. A Sunday Tribune investigation has found that antidepressant prescriptions can easily be obtained under false pretences. This newspaper visited five GPs in Dublin and Bray last week feigning depression and obtained prescriptions from four doctors for antidepressants. Prof Casey and Dr Corry both said they would not have prescribed antidepressants to the Sunday Tribune given the symptoms described. "I think we prescribe antidepressants far too easily in this country," said Prof Casey. Read original story with online comments here A Pill For Every Ill August 30, 2009 — Sunday Tribune journalist Ali Bracken went undercover as a patient presenting with symptoms of mild depression and found that most GPs she visited were happy to prescribe her with antidepressant pills Dalkey Medical Centre, Co Dublin The Sunday Tribune visited five GPs in Dublin and Wicklow last week and reported feeling depressed. I provided my correct name, address, date of birth and medical history but the symptoms I described of feeling depressed because of the break-up of a long-term relationship four months earlier and of losing my job one month ago were incorrect. The doctors were told that because of the break-up of this relationship, I was now living alone. I also incorrectly told one of the doctors I had been bereaved five months earlier when an uncle died in a road traffic accident. The purpose of this investigation was to establish how easy it would be to obtain a prescription for antidepressants under false pretences. In four of the cases, GPs who had never met me before prescribed antidepressants. One refused on the basis that she did not know anything about my past medical history and she added that "pills are not a cure-all". All of the doctors except one recommended some form of counselling to deal with the issues I was experiencing and some provided me with names and contact numbers for psychiatric assistance. All of the doctors asked me several questions about how I was feeling, including whether I felt suicidal (to which I replied no) and about family medical history of depression (to which I replied there was none of this in my immediate family) and whether I was sleeping and eating well (to which I replied no in both cases). All of the doctors told me that it would take about two weeks before the antidepressants started working. I asked three of the doctors about the waiting time to see a counsellor/psychiatrist in the public health service and all reported there would be a wait of at least several weeks, possibly several months. Dr Matthew McConville, O'Connell Street Medical Centre, Dublin 1 This was the first surgery I visited and reported feeling depressed because of a recent bereavement, the break-up of a long-term relationship and the loss of my job. Dr Matthew McConville listened at length to the problems I reported having and asked me a series of questions about how I was feeling. He told me that antidepressants were "not a magic cure" and said I could get the name and number of a trained professional at reception for me to speak to – which he recommended. I did not ask for antidepressants, the doctor suggested them and prescribed a three-month prescription of Fluoxetine (trade name Prozac) and non-addictive sleeping tablets. He asked me to come back to the surgery after the three months or earlier if I wished. McConville said the reason I was depressed was because I was reacting "to external shocks to the system". I appeared by far the most depressed and upset during this visit. The consultation lasted about 20 minutes. When contacted later and informed that the depression reported was false and I was a journalist, McConville said: "It was a lengthy consultation and I informed you about counselling. I'm reasonably happy with the consultation." Dr Hossein Tabesh, Aungier Street Clinic, Dublin 2 I reported feeling depressed because of the break-up of a long-term relationship and the loss of my job. Dr Hossein Tabesh produced a 'depression checklist' and asked me a series of questions including whether I was feeling hopeless, worthless, tearful and anxious, to which I replied yes on all counts. I did not ask for antidepressants, the doctor suggested them and prescribed a three-week prescription of the antidepressant Lexapro. He asked that I come back and see him after that, free of charge, to discuss how I was feeling. He recommended counselling but said that unless I had the money to pay for it privately, I would "have to wait a long, long time". He said if I could not afford private counselling, Dublin Business School provided it but a student counsellor would be sitting in on consultations. Tabesh also said he was seeing a lot more people "because of the recession". He told me it was very important to "stay positive" and take regular exercise. The consultation lasted about 15 minutes. When contacted later and informed that the depression reported was false and the patient was a journalist, Dr Tabesh said he had followed all the guidelines when dealing with depression and had recommended counselling. "I went through the checklist. I put you on a low dosage, which I thought was appropriate with your symptoms." Dr Ray Hawkins, Bray Medical Centre, Co Wicklow I reported feeling depressed because of the break-up of a long-term relationship and the loss of my job as a mortgage broker. Dr Ray Hawkins asked me a few questions about how I was feeling, including whether I was sleeping properly (no), had lost my appetite (yes) or was feeling suicidal (no). I did not ask for antidepressants; the doctor suggested them and gave me a four-week prescription for the antidepressant Lexapro and nine Xanax tablets, used for the treatment of anxiety, and asked that I come back to see him in a month. He said the medication "will have you feeling better in a month". Hawkins said "people don't always need counselling" and recommended I talk to my family and friends about how I was feeling. He also suggested I look into retraining and contact Fás as it could be difficult to get anther job working as a mortgage broker because of a lack of jobs. Hawkins also recommended I "don't do anything too challenging" for a while but to get some exercise and he enquired if I'd applied for social welfare yet as I claimed to be out of work. He asked me to come back to the surgery after a month. This consultation was the shortest, lasting about five minutes. Hawkins was uncontactable for comment later in the week as he was away on annual leave. He was sent a fax informing him of the true nature of my visit. Dr Jane MacDonagh, Slievemore Clinic, Stillorgan, Co Dublin I reported feeling depressed because of the break-up of a long-term relationship and the loss of my job. Dr Jane MacDonagh produced a 'depression checklist', provided by the pharmaceutical company behind antidepressant Lexapro, and asked me a series of questions including whether I had feelings of worthlessness or hopelessness, or was anxious or often tearful. The doctor then spoke to me at length about how I was feeling. She recommended that I go and speak to a trained professional about the problems I described and provided me with contact details and literature. The doctor said the psychotherapist she recommended did not believe in antidepressants as she believed talking through problems was the answer. MacDonagh asked what I thought I needed, and I replied that a friend had been on antidepressants following a bereavement and it had helped him considerably. The doctor then explained some reasons why people get depressed, because of a drop in serotonin, and that the symptoms I described were a reaction to unfortunate events. She said I did not fit into the category of physically suffering from depression but that I had enough symptoms to show I was depressed. She explained that antidepressants were expensive, as was counselling, and there would be a wait of several weeks in the public service. She prescribed a one-month prescription of the antidepressant Lexapro. She recommended I take the antidepressant for six months and said I could renew my prescription with the Slievemore Clinic by contacting the reception. MacDonagh said because she was putting me on a low dosage, it should not be a problem for me when I stopped taking the pills but I should do so slowly and with consultation. The consultation lasted about 35 minutes. When contacted later and informed that the depression reported was false and the patient was a journalist, MacDonagh said: "Prescribing antidepressants is not something that I undertake lightly but in this instance both the patient and myself agreed that medication was appropriate and she also agreed to consider counselling as I advised." Dr Nuala Tierney, Dalkey Medical Centre I reported feeling depressed because of the break-up of a long-term relationship and the loss of my job. Dr Nuala Tierney asked why I had not gone to my regular GP to report these problems and whether I had discussed how I was feeling with my family and friends. I told her I was uncomfortable in doing so in both cases. I requested antidepressants but was told by the doctor: "Pills are not always the answer... There can be side-effects and not everyone reacts well to them." She added that because I was a first-time patient, she would not feel comfortable prescribing antidepressants. After establishing that I was not suicidal, she encouraged me to talk to family and friends over the weekend and to call back on Tuesday to discuss how I was feeling and she would pass on the name of a counsellor and discuss the possibility of prescribing the herbal antidepressant St John's wort but added she would probably not be comfortable doing so. Tierney declined to comment but was sent a fax informing her of the true nature of my visit. Read original story with online comments here The cruel darkness of Shane Clancy August 23, 2009 — We know so much about the events that led to the tragedy in Bray last week, but as to what pushed an apparently ordinary young man to a psychotic rage we will probably never discover, writes Security Editor Mick McCaffrey Shane Clancy took the knife that he had bought less than an hour before and wedged it into the grass in the small back garden. He was covered in the blood of three people and had decided that there was only one way out. He took a step backwards and judged the distance between the middle of his chest and the razor-sharp blade that was just about visible against the light created from the kitchen of the semi-detached house in the Bray estate. The 22-year-old put his hands behind his back and let himself drop forward, the knife piercing deep into his heart. Although he died instantly it would be several hours before his body would be found. It was just one bizarre moment in a horrifying murder-suicide that has shocked and captivated the nation in equal measure. In the space of little over 10 minutes in the early hours of last Sunday morning, Sebastian Creane lay dead in the bedroom of his family home after being knifed through the heart. By his side was his older brother Dylan, unconscious after suffering eight stab wounds and a punctured lung when he went to investigate the sound of screams in the house. Just yards away Jennifer Hannigan was being comforted after summoning the strength to escape through a window of the Creane house and knock on a neighbour's door and beg for help. The blade of a knife had snapped from its handle and was wedged in her back. Gardaí and the emergency services arrived within minutes and the scene that greeted them was one that is normally associated with horror films, not a solidly middle-class area in a leafy corner of Co Wicklow. One week after Shane Clancy went on the rampage before taking his own life there are more questions than answers about what motivated him. Much of the rumour, speculation and confusion has arisen because the media – eager to splash the story on their front pages – have leapt on stories that are half true, at best the truth of what has happened in the house in Cuala Grove has been distorted by sensationalism. Gardaí have established the timeframe of events last Saturday night and Sunday morning. Twenty-two-year-old Seb Creane's night started off the way many young people begin their weekends. He arranged to meet two friends he had gone to secondary school with for a couple of pints. The three began drinking in the Eagle House in Sandycove where they had no more than two or three drinks each. They had arranged to meet a female pal in the Queen's pub in Dalkey and when they arrived after 10pm the woman was there along with four or five of her friends. Among that group was Shane Clancy, who was due to begin the final year of a four-year course in Irish and theology studies at Trinity College. Clancy was due to spend this summer abroad but cancelled his plans at the last minute and was working in a nightclub until he went back to college. Creane and Clancy were on nodding terms and knew each other through their mutual friend. They had met several times before. They were neither friends nor enemies. Gardaí say they had a cordial relationship. Five months previously, Clancy had ended a three-year relationship with his girlfriend Jennifer Hannigan, but like many young people he had regretted this decision and had tried to patch things up with her. Hannigan didn't want to get back together though and was trying to move on with her life. She was going into fourth year of a degree in visual communications in the Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology. One of her classmates was Seb Creane. The pair had been friendly in college, but had only recently started to see each other casually. Less than three weeks before they had decided to go out and were in the very early stages of a relationship which sources say was not overly serious and was in the 'let's see how things go' category. Clancy did not take Hannigan's rejection well. He had been prescribed antidepressant medication which he had begun taking a week before carrying out the murder. Garda sources say that he might have been using more than the recommended dosage, but will not know for sure until they receive toxicology reports over the coming weeks. On good terms Even though Hannigan did not want a relationship with Clancy they were on relatively good terms. Gardaí say there is absolutely no evidence to suggest that he was stalking her or had contacted her friends through social-networking sites. After spending several hours in the pub in Dalkey the group headed to the Vico nightclub in the town. Clancy was on a night off, and because he did not drink he drove to the pub. At around 3am the group came out of the club. Clancy offered to drop Creane and his two friends back to Bray. The group had only a moderate amount of alcohol taken. They were not drunk and were in good spirits. Creane's two friends have been interviewed by gardaí and say that they exchanged general chitchat on the journey home. Creane and Clancy were getting on well and not a bad word was spoken between them prior to the two friends getting out of the car. It is pure speculation about what occurred when the two men were alone in the car. It is likely that Clancy was not aware that Creane had recently started to see his ex. Gardaí say it is possible that it came up in conversation, which may have driven Clancy over the edge. However, detectives are keen to point out that they do not believe that the murder was planned and do not suspect that Clancy set out to drive Creane home with the intention of killing him. Seb Creane got back to his house after 3.30am. Jennifer Hannigan arrived soon afterwards, as arranged earlier. Creane's parents were on holidays abroad. His brother, Dylan, a 28-year-old who ran a web-development company from the family home, was in bed asleep with his girlfriend Laura Mackey, who is a guitarist with the rock band Boss Volenti. As far as Seb Creane was concerned, everything was normal. Little did he know that something had driven Shane Clancy over the edge. Whether Clancy waited outside the house in his car and saw Hannigan arrive is not known, but he drove to the 24-hour Dunnes Stores in nearby Cornelscourt and paid around €7 for what is believed to have been a set of up to three knives. After returning to Bray at around 4.30am, he took one of the kitchen knives from its hard plastic packet and gained entry to the Creane house. It is probable that he knocked at the door and barged his way in when it was answered. A row developed downstairs, which led Clancy to produce the knife and chase Seb Creane up the stairs into his bedroom. Clancy stabbed his victim several times in the chest, fatally wounding him. Clancy then turned his attention to Hannigan. He punched her in the face and head before stabbing her in the back with such force and hatred that the knife broke and lodged in her back. Hannigan bravely managed to escape through a window and staggered to a neighbour's house for help. She is recovering well and has spoken to gardaí. They say she has been "incredibly helpful" but do not want to go into details of what she has told them. With the knife that he had bought broken, Clancy went downstairs to the kitchen and took another sharp knife from a block that was on open view. At this stage Dylan Creane was awake after hearing screaming and rushed in to help his brother. He was also attacked. He lost a frightening amount of blood and was lucky to survive. He is still in a serious condition in hospital but is expected to survive. Gardaí and three ambulances arrived just after 5am, but Clancy was nowhere to be found. A murder inquiry and a massive manhunt for the escaped killer were immediately launched but gardaí didn't know that Clancy was lying dead in the garden because they had sealed off the property for a forensic examination. Single stab wound to the heart When a murder has taken place it is standard garda procedure to 'preserve and protect' the area and then 'secure and isolate' the scene – it was not until mid morning that Clancy's body was discovered by members of the Garda Technical Bureau. He had suffered a single stab wound to the heart and it was obvious that his death had been a suicide. Gardaí do not believe that Clancy was under the influence of illegal drugs. The main theory being investigated is that he was misusing his anti-depression medication. Detectives say the medication may have triggered a reaction, leading him to lose control and snap. When a tragedy like this happens it is easier to understand when the perpetrator has a history of violence or mental illness and has shown signs that they are capable of extreme violence. Nobody saw this coming with Clancy though, and gardaí have yet to interview anybody who has spoken about him ever showing a propensity towards violence or aggression. People who knew Shane Clancy say he was an ordinary, decent person who didn't drink, smoke or do drugs. At his funeral last Thursday at the Church of the Assumption in Dalkey, Fr John McDonagh spoke of a young man admired by all those who knew him, a man who had donated his 21st birthday money to charity and who had a bright future ahead of him. The depiction was a million miles away from the individual of last Sunday morning. The priest said that "the Shane that many of you knew and loved was overtaken by a cruel darkness early on Sunday last, bringing great tragedy to two other families as well as his own". He added that the dead man was in a "psychotic state and destructive frenzy". Clancy's mother Leonie, father Patrick, stepfather Tony and four brothers and two sisters all attended the burial and are said to be deeply traumatised. The family are from Dalkey and were said to have been very close to Shane. Seb Creane was also a man with a bright future ahead of him. He was a keen photographer who set up an account on the Flickr website to show off his photographic skills. Conscientious and diligent Tom Geraghty, the headmaster of the exclusive St Gerard's school in Bray where Creane attended, paid tribute to his former pupil, saying: "The staff of the school remember Sebastian as a hard-working, conscientious and diligent pupil who was consistently popular with both pupils and teachers of the class of 2005. Sebastian was always the perfect gentleman who cheerfully and willingly gave of his best in all school activities." He was also a talented Gaelic footballer who played with local club Bray Emmets for a number of years. The musician Phil Coulter led the flurry of tributes on Liveline, which has given the case almost blanket coverage. Coulter has been very visible talking about his son's friendship with Seb Creane. The murder-suicide investigation is being led by detective inspector Frank Keenaghan, an experienced and respected officer who has been in constant touch with the families of Seb and Dylan Creane, Shane Clancy and Jennifer Hannigan. He pointed out that what happened was a tragedy for all three of the families. Sebastian's parents, Jim and Nuala, were in the UK at the time of the attack and rushed back to Ireland when gardaí informed them of what happened. The grim task of contacting them fell to Keenaghan. He said: "The Creanes came home very quickly. It was a tough, tough, very difficult situation. It was one of the more difficult things you have to do in the line of duty." They have not returned to the house since last week and are being comforted by family and friends. Nuala Creane is a teacher whose specialist area is in people with learning disabilities. She has her own training consultancy business which she operates from her own home. Neighbours of the Creanes are shocked about the horror that visited their doorsteps and have refused to talk to the media. The only visible tribute to the dead man is a lone wreath that has been placed at the gate of the house. Local parish priest Fr Larry White said he expected the Creanes to stay away from their home for the foreseeable future, "if they can ever return there". The garda investigation is ongoing but there is very little that it can achieve. It is a fact that Clancy murdered Creane and then killed himself and that is what the probe will find. As for the reasons that drove Shane Clancy to do what he did, the only two people who can probably explain it are dead. All that is left is speculation and supposition along with two sets of parents who have both lost sons and a young woman who will somehow have to try to put the heartbreaking events of a week ago behind her and attempt to rebuild her shattered life. Read original story with online comments here |