American man fatally assaulted in Ireland was "exceptionally devoted" to his son

The McGowan family in the US has spoken out following the fatal assault of John McGowan, allegedly at the hands of his son Henry McGowan, in Co Laois on Tuesday, November 12.

On Tuesday night, Gardaí said that shortly before 8 pm that evening, they were alerted to an incident at a hotel where a male, aged in his 60s, was found deceased.

One man, aged in his 30s, was arrested and detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 at a Garda station in the Eastern Region.

It has since been confirmed that the victim was 66-year-old American man John McGowan. The suspect is 33-year-old Henry McGowan, John's son.

Gardaí announced on Thursday that they had charged the man who they arrested.

Portlaoise District Court in Co Laois heard on Thursday that Henry has an address on Clinton Street in Brooklyn, New York. His solicitor said that it is accepted that Henry has significant mental health issues and requested medical assistance for his client, which the judge granted.

Henry, who was remanded in custody at Cloverhill Prison in Dublin, will appear in court again on Monday via video link.

In a statement to The New York Times on Thursday, the McGowan family said 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 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."