Lynn Eagar, 49, has been handed two life sentences after she pleaded guilty to the murders of her children Thelma Dennany, 5, and Mikey Dennany, 2.
The Dennany siblings were fatally injured in a car fire near Multyfarnham, Co Westmeath on September 9, 2022.
Gardai later confirmed they were investigating the incident as "suspicious" and a "crime."
Eagar, who was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries after the car fire, was charged with their murders on September 22, 2022, a week after the siblings' funeral.
She pleaded guilty in the Central Criminal Court on Thursday morning to the charges against her.
Kildare Now reports that the court heard that text messages sent by Eagar before she murdered her children showed a perception that it was in her interest and the interests of the children that, in her words, "they wouldn't hurt any more."
In a statement that was read in court on Thursday, Eagar apologized and said: "Looking back, there were other avenues I could and should have traveled.
"I'm full of regret."
The children's father Michael Dennany also wrote a statement that said, in part, that "Thelma and Mikey’s births were the two happiest days of my life."
He said how he had saved money to build an extension on their home so they could have their own room, but instead, "the money I had saved to build it was spent on burying them."
He described his children as "fearless, mischievous partners in crime" and said that their deaths "have ripped the guts out of me."
His statement added: "The only comfort I have is that they are together forever."
Justice Paul McDermott imposed a life sentence on Eagar for each of the two murders.
"I can only express my commiserations to everyone concerned and to all who loved and cherished Thelma and Mikey," McDermott said.
After Eagar was sentenced, a statement on behalf of the families was read by garda family liaison officer Martina Walsh outside the court: “There are no winners today, only losers.
"Our families are broken forever because two small but hugely important pieces are missing, two innocent, gentle, and loving children ripped away from us.
"The horrific, senseless, and cruel manner of their deaths has affected every one of us in different ways.
"The family would like to acknowledge the kindness and support of family friends and strangers. They have given us strength and gone some way to restore our belief in humanity."
The statement acknowledged and thanked the first responders, the hospital staff, as well as the children's schools for their support.
"Thelma and Michael were happy fun-loving children overflowing with love and mischief," the statement continued. “Had they grown up, they might have changed the world, because they changed ours.
“Their absence has cast a shadow on our lives. That shadow is testament to the brightness of their light.
“We are utterly lost without them.
"Our families thank the media and ask that our privacy be respected."
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