This article is from page 17 of the 2007-04-24 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 17 JPG
PATRICK Joseph O’Dwyer was born on July 3, 1985. He was the sec- ond-born child of Paddy and Claire O’ Dwyer, a factory worker and bank official, respectively. His older sister Louise is a graduate of NUI Galway and his young sister Marguerite was studying for her Leaving Certificate at the time of her killing.
Patrick obtained 395 points in his Leaving Certificate, at Ennistymon CBS in 2003.
This secured him a place in Civil Engineering at Galway Mayo In- stitute of Technology. He moved to Galway and stayed in student accom- modation with two other young men from Mayo. However, he dropped out of college that Christmas and re- turned to his home town.
“I did not enjoy my time up in Gal- way. I wanted to get out of there,” he told gardai.
He had previously worked part- time as a labourer, a golf club cad-
die and took up weekend work at the Atlantic Hotel and Coast nightclub in Bseeen
After dropping out of college, he be- gan working with his father at Tyco, Shannon. In June 2004, he took up an apprenticeship as a butcher with Bernard Roughan in Ennistymon. He earned €230 a week and contin- ued to work there, until the killing of his sister.
He enjoyed this work and Mr Roughan told the trial that Patrick was “a great worker,’ “got on well with everyone” and appeared happy on the day of the killing. He planned to open his own butcher’s shop, some WU Seto UOMBO CM RUIADDKoM
“Marguerite had called in often to talk to him. They got on well. He would often give her cigarettes,” he ene m
Patrick had a huge interest in sport and played football and hurling, un- derage, with Ennistymon.
He had a number of friends, mainly from Ennistymon and Inagh, and had
AISA AEc DUDE TOI OTOL
“A few, nothing long-term. They cost a lot of money,” he said, during an interview with gardai.
He had his first drink prior to his 16th birthday and said he would feel “bad” the day after he drank shots or (ere <2 He dabbled in drugs whilst in col- lege. “Hash. When I was in college. Maybe once a week, twice a week,’ he said. The trial heard several incidents which showed that alcohol was his downfall. He enjoyed a good rela- tionship with his parents, the odd ex- ception being a row over drink. On one occasion, in January 2004, he asked an English woman in her 40s for a kiss on the street. She rejected his advances and he hit her and bit her fingers. He was acutely drunk at the time. On another occasion, he became ageressive with his father, after he spoke to him about his drunken be- haviour at a family wedding.