Daena’s heartbroken brother said the family was particularly devastated to learn in court that Corcoran had been on bail when he committed the murder
08:06, 21 Mar 2026Updated 08:10, 21 Mar 2026
(Image: Callum Walsh)
A brother of mum-of-two Daena Walsh, who was murdered in her East Cork home, says he hopes her killer “doesn’t come out of prison alive.” Killer Adam Corcoran was this week jailed for life after being found guilty of the “demonic and horrific” murder of Daena in Midleton on August 2, 2024.
Daena, who was originally from Wicklow, was living in an apartment on Connolly Street in Midleton and had two young sons. The young mum was just 27 years old when her life was callously taken from her in her own home.
The court heard that Corcoran (31), who denied murder and arson, but after a lengthy trial, then ‘accepted’ the verdict of the jury, stabbed his partner 25 times before setting fire to her apartment.
Speaking to the Irish Mirror, Daena’s heartbroken brother Callum said the family was particularly devastated to learn in court that when he killed Daena, Corcoran had been on bail for an alleged attack in which a teacher was struck several times with a screwdriver.
“At the time, he was on bail for a previous offence. He previously stabbed a French teacher with a screwdriver. It’s a serious crime. He had 46 previous convictions, and yet he was out on bail. It’s mad. That was two weeks prior to Daena’s death. That would be considered a serious offence. That was in Cork city, and the Judge at the time granted him bail. It’s a disgrace,” he said.
Daena Walsh RIP(Image: Daragh Mc Sweeney/Provision)
During the trial, Corcoran, who denied the murder, ultimately admitted that he had killed Daena, but that he did not remember doing it. Speaking today, Callum said he and his family were left angered by this, given that the killer put them through an unnecessary and gruelling trial.
“After the trial had started, yeah, he admitted it. It made me angry. Just anger knowing that he had done that. He put us through all of that, and now he’s saying he did it. Then he couldn’t even officially apologise to us. It came from the Defence, which is just no good. Not that we would have accepted an apology anyway,” he said.
Callum said it was particularly egregious that the killer put him and the family through the punishing trial process in which they had to hear detailed evidence from the State Pathologist about how Daena died.
“The Pathologist’s evidence was horrific, you know, just with the terminology they used. I had to leave because I couldn’t sit through some of it naturally.”
Adam Corcoran (31), formerly of Apartment 4, John Barry House in Midleton, Co Cork appeared before the courts this afternoon(Image: Cork Courts Limited)
Callum told how Corcoran controlled his sister, but that even with his cruel nature, no one could have predicted the violence he would carry out.
“Controlling and coercive, he was all of those. He was controlling, a drifter and distant. No, you would never think about it; it wouldn’t even enter your mind to do something to a degree such as this,” he said.
Speaking about the impact of the guilty verdict, Callum described it as a “relief,” adding that Corcoran had “lied throughout the entire trial,” and that “no sentence will ever be long enough for what he did.”
“I knew he was going to be found guilty of murder. The facts and evidence were there. There was no doubt about it,” he said. “But justice was done. Hopefully, now he doesn’t come out of prison alive.”
Callum and the family sat through the entire trial in Cork court, and have now returned home to Roundwood in Co Wicklow, where his mother is raising Daena’s young sons, aged just seven and five.
“Things getting back to normal, it’s just trying to live on now,” Callum said, “I’m speaking on behalf of the Walsh family, not just myself. Her nephews are living with us, and it’s just incredibly hard on them.”
Daena Walsh with brothers Noah and Paul
Paying tribute to his sister, Callum said she was “very bright.” “She loved her coloured hair and her nails, and she was very fashionable. She always put other people before herself.
“There are no words that can describe her loss. We wouldn’t wish this on anybody,” he added. Callum also delivered his full and powerful victim impact statement in court in front of Corcoran this week. In it, he said that Corcoran “brutally” murdered his sister, who he described as a “kind and loving person.”
“Since Daena’s murder, the emotional and psychological impact on our family has been profound. One of the most difficult consequences has been the effect on our ability to sleep.
“Many of us experience ongoing sleep loss and disturbed nights, often lying awake thinking about what happened and feeling anxious and unsettled. This lack of sleep has affected my energy, my concentration, and my overall well-being. There will always be an empty space in our home and in our lives – a sense that something precious is missing that can never be replaced. The day-to-day impact of this loss means life will never truly return to the normality we once knew,” he said.
“I would like the Court to remember Daena Walsh for who she truly was, a loving mother, daughter, sister, and friend. She was well known for her coloured hair and mad lipstick colours. She was a thoughtful, kind, and caring person whose life was taken from her in a cruel and violent way,” he continued.
Daena was just 27 when she was killed
“This has been one of the most devastating experiences our family has ever endured, and we would not wish this pain on anyone. The greatest loss of all is for Daena’s two children. Daena will never be able to watch them grow, guide them, or share in the many milestones of their lives.
“She will never be there for their birthdays, their First Holy Communion, their Confirmation, their Junior Cert and Leaving Cert, or the many achievements and moments that Mother’s treasure as their children grow. She will never see them learn to drive, graduate, or build their futures. These are moments every mother deserves to share with her children, and that future has been taken from them forever.”
Corcoran’s trial heard that tragic Daena suffered 51 injuries to her face, neck, chest, abdomen and limbs. One of the wounds to her chest was 11.5 centimetres deep and had penetrated through her sternum, and some of her clothing had lodged in the bone, the court heard.
Mr Corcoran had called the emergency services claiming that his partner, and the mother of his two children, had stabbed herself. He told gardai that she was his “soulmate” and that he planned to marry her and buy a house with her.
Daena Walsh’s killer told Gardaà she was his ‘soulmate’ after callously taking her life
Mr Corcoran had opted to give evidence for the defence. Whilst under cross-examination, he admitted, “Yes, I killed her, yes.” He also accepted that it was not in self-defence. The court heard that Corcoran said he and Daena had issues with substance abuse and had been using “nonstop” in the last two weeks of her life. He told Gardai that Daena was his “soulmate” and he had planned to marry her.
Mr Corcoran said that he and the late Daena Walsh had two children together and that he loved her. However, he stated that they both had issues with substance abuse, with their use being “non-stop” in the last fortnight of Daena’s life. During the course of the trial and while under cross-examination, Corcoran ultimately admitted to killing Daena, saying, “Yes, I killed her, yes.”
Under cross-examination, he was asked why he told the 999 operator that Daena had attempted suicide. He told the court that this was what he believed at the time, and it took him some time to remember what had happened. Detective Garda Cormac O’Bric told the court that Corcoran had 42 previous convictions, including drug dealing, possession of knives, dangerous driving and theft of a vehicle.
Adam Corcoran being led into court(Image: Olivia Kelleher)
Evidence then emerged that two weeks before the murder, on July 23, 2024, Corcoran was involved in an incident with French students who were on a school tour in Cork city centre. During the course of the incident, Corcoran allegedly struck a teacher up to 10 times in the back and upper body with a screwdriver, the court heard.
Brendan Grehan SC for Corcoran told the court that he accepted the jury verdict and expressed remorse to his two sons and Daena’s family. In sentencing Corcoran to life, Ms Justice Siobhan Lankford said his actions on August 2, 2024, “were truly horrific”.
“Ms Walsh died as a result of a frenzied attack. He stabbed her through the face, torso, chest and abdomen, causing her death. She clearly fought for her life. He then attempted to cover it up, and he may have tried to dismember her body. Her left arm was almost amputated.
“He placed aerosols in a tea towel on a hob with an open flame in the kitchen. He put many lives in danger – other people in the building, and the general public in Midleton, Gardai and first responders were all in real danger.
“He phoned 999 and said she had died by suicide, a stand he maintained up to the time of the trial. It is of some consolation that he accepted he is the person who killed Ms Walsh, and she did not die by suicide.”