Family in shock as Cork father who drowned his child defends himself in suicide note – VIDEO

It is always a tragic loss when a child dies...to have died at the hands of her father is unthinkable...none of us know what kind of mental or emotional pain or illness the man was in so we should spend our energies on support and prayer for the poor mother...she will need all the strength we can give

STEVENSTAR! DID YOUR AMERICAN EX-HUSBAND DROP YOU, OR DID YOU DROP HIM? SAD TO SEE YOU WOULD USE A TRAGIC STORY LIKE THIS TO INDULGE YOUR COVENANT TO DIVIDE THE IRISH-IRISH FROM THEIR IRISH-AMERICA DIASPORA. SHAME ON YOU, SIR! YOU'RE A DISCREDIT TO YOUR ULSTER-SCOTTISH CALVINIST PLANTER STOCK BRETHREN. ARE YOU THAT THREATENED BY IRISH REPUBLICAN AMERICA?

You people are quick to come to conclusions here. The article mentions nothing about the man being abusive of any sort. You read a minute detail of a tragic situation which no one really knows about and decide to make your own conclusions about the people involved. The papers write enough crap without people adding stories to an event which we know nothing about. Don't be so quick to judge in the future (especially you EphraimKibbey).

Sure sounds like a chemical imbalance

RELATIONSHIPS CAN BE TOUGH ENOUGH BUT THE CULTURAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN IRISH AND AMERICANS IS WAY TOO MAJOR.. WE ARE VERY DIFFERENT PEOPLE & CULTURES, AND I FIGURED THAT OUT AFTER DATING ONE OF THEM FOR 8 MONTHS.. IT WAS THE MOST DRAMATIC EXPERIENCE OF MY LIFE AND ONE I WOULDNT REPEAT !!!

This is a very upsetting piece. You don't know how to comment on it. But it happens a lot. I just watch a movie on one that the dad was abusing the daughter and she went into hiding. What the was the up-bring of the wife? What was she looking to get out of this marriage? Lets just hope somebody reads this and if in a relationship like this runs and fast,

The cultural differences between, for example, Irish Irish and American Irish are bigger than one thinks at first glance. That is a given from the start. Then there is the age difference. And was she a city girl? There was little enough chance of this marriage working from the get go, and everyone should have counseled (them) against it. Maybe they did. Sad, also for the innocent young girl's life lost, and for nothing much.

Does call into qiestion the advisability of inter-generational nuptials. He's reputed to have worked all day every day all his life with no holidays, which isn't good mental health. Sadly, an standard example of rural Irish life, where the eldest inherits the modest allotment, has to care for aging parents, and then misses opportunity for own life. I sense he was compensating for a lost life chance. But sadly, no excuse for ruining someone elses. Our children are note our personal possessions to fill existential voids.

I think that if someone needs to leave an abusive or mentally impaired spouse whom they fear, they should just take the kids and leave. Threatening to leave just adds fuel to the unreasonable spouse's fire and pushes them toward unreasonable actions. It is much better to discuss the relationship from a place of safety. The recently re-authorized Violence Against Women Act includes financing for safe havens for just this scenario. It is hard to believe that so many voted against it. Courts granting visitation rights also need to give greater consideration to the mental state of the parent seeking them. Any error the court makes should be on the side of the safety of the child rather than on the side of parental "rights" as that child's right to life should trump the parent's right to see them.

Stupid, stupid neighbors, journalists & others who describe this couple as "happy". What was a man in his 40s doing romancing a girl of 16 in the first place, which was Rebecca's age when they met. His horrible final act was premeditated, as evidenced by the long letter. One can argue that he was deranged, but no one can deny poor Rebecca was living with a domineering, selfish, controlling and ultimately vengeful man. No wonder she was planning to leave him.

It's a shame that Martin felt that he could not discuss his feelings with anyone else such as a close friend or family member. Apparently he had no one in whom he could confide his fears to prevent such a tragedy from happening!

Stupid, stupid man.