New York man charged with murdering father in Co Laois remanded back into custody

Henry McGowan, the New York man accused of murdering his father John McGowan in Co Laois last week, was remanded into further custody today, Monday, November 18.

Henry, who has an address on Clinton Street in Brooklyn, New York, allegedly fatally assaulted his father at the luxury Ballyfin Demesne hotel in Co Laois on Tuesday evening, November 12. 

Henry was arrested on the evening of the fatal assault and was officially charged on Thursday, November 14. He appeared in Portlaoise District Court that day.

During the brief hearing on Thursday, Henry's solicitor Barry Fitzgerald said he accepted the court had no jurisdiction to grant bail.

Fitzgerald said that it has been accepted that his client has significant mental health issues and asked Judge Cody to request the prison service to provide immediate medical assistance to McGowan, to which he agreed.

Judge Andrew Cody remanded McGowan into custody at Cloverhill Prison.

On Monday, Henry appeared via video link from Cloverhill Prison for another hearing at Portlaoise District Court.

According to The Irish Examiner, Henry’s solicitor Barry Fitzgerald said his client was consenting to be remanded in custody for two weeks.

Judge Susan Fay remanded Henry in custody to appear in person before Portlaoise District Court on December 2.

The US-based McGowan family said in a statement to the New York Times on Thursday that they are “deeply saddened by the death of John McGowan.

"He did everything within his power to bring his son Henry, who suffers from a severe mental illness, the help he so desperately needs.

"The family requests privacy at this difficult time and will not be commenting further."

Someone close to the McGowan family told the New York Times that John, who was living in Connecticut, learned on Monday that his son Henry had gotten on a flight to Ireland.

John was "exceptionally devoted to Henry and knew his condition was serious," the person close to the family further said.

The New York Times confirmed earlier reports that John then flew to Ireland on Monday night, November 11, in an attempt to help his son.

A native of Connecticut who was most recently living in Brooklyn with his girlfriend, Henry was a graduate of the University of Virginia and had been working for Affirm, a technology software company.

Last year, he ran the New York City Marathon, raising more than $10k for the National Alliance on Mental Illness of NYC (NAMI-NYC) in the process.

On his fundraising page, Henry wrote that he had been diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder Type 1 after suffering a manic episode in January 2022.

"A little over a year ago, I was released from the hospital and began the process of reconnecting with reality, my dear friends and family, and eventually my work and hobbies," Henry wrote on his fundraising page last year.

"It was a painstaking path, but being on the other side of it, I am deeply grateful for and in disbelief at how much my life has improved in this relatively short time

"There is no greater lesson from this experience than the importance of community. My family, friends, therapists/psychiatrists, and employer were a formidable force that put a large landing pad (spanning from NYC to Paris) underneath me, one that very well could have saved my life.

"Thank you all so much for everything you did for me."

Henry also made special note of the late Dr. Robert Hirschfeld, who he said was "instrumental in getting me transitioned back to life and made remarkable contributions to the understanding of bipolar disorder."

In November last year, just days before the NYC Marathon, Henry spoke with ABC 7 News in New York about his preparation and fundraising efforts.

"If you're struggling, ask for help," Henry said. "Or if someone near you is struggling with mental illness, offer help."