Wife a pillar of support to Damian O’Hagan

DAMIAN O’Hagan’s wife, Kathleen, claims that the murder of his mother was a result of “collusion and incompetence”, as she aids him in his ongoing search for justice.

Six years ago, Damian decided to leave Tyrone for Australia, joining his brother Raymond.

In a twist of fate, Damian met his future wife, Kathleen, during a night out in a Sydney bar, drawn together by her shared first name with his mother and his unmistakable ‘Irish charm.’

Kathleen recalls their initial encounter vividly: “We met in a bar in Sydney not long after Damian moved over. He was definitely cheeky, amusing, and funny. We started as friends, but it didn’t take long to fall in love – he wore me down with his Irish charm!”

From the beginning, Damian was open about his past, particularly the traumatic event that shaped his life.

“Even on our first meeting, he told me where he lived and the discussion of what had happened at home began. Every interaction we had, he opened up a little more about life at home and why he moved to Australia, and then a few months after, it got to what happened with his mother.”

Kathleen O’Hagan was seven months pregnant when, on August 7, 1994, UVF gunmen entered her home and brutally murdered her in front of her children. This horrific event left a lasting impact on Damian and his brothers.

Kathleen, Damian’s wife, believes that his move overseas with brother, Raymond was partly a form of escapism.

“They’re the last two remaining boys,” she said.

“Both of them have gone overseas and part of that move was a form of escapism because growing up here, they’re always going to be the sons of the pregnant woman that was murdered, so how can you have an identity of your own that is separate from that incident?

“From a trauma perspective, I don’t think that is something that can ever go away.”

Together, Damian and Kathleen are committed to seeking justice for his mother’s murder. They have been working with the Commission for Survivors and Victims of the Troubles and Families for Justice, navigating the complex backdrop of the Legacy Bill.

Kathleen believes that even an admission of the investigation’s flaws would be a significant step forward.

“When you hear the stories about the night; police not attending for hours, the helicopter not finding the burned-out car, a civilian cleaning the house, forensic elements not being taken, army equipment found in the fields. All of these things show that the investigation was not taken properly. It’s either collusion or incompetence, I think it’s more likely to be collusion but I have no doubt there was incompetence in there too.”