Wednesday 28 October 2026Compiled from published reports. Every claim links to its source.

Ireland Crime

Every case followed from the first report to the sentence, or to where the reporting stopped.

Case No. 4109Murder · 16 Mar 2021

Tusla awaits independent review into engagement with family of murdered four-year-old Mason O'Connell-Conway

Tusla said it was awaiting the outcome of an independent review by the National Review Panel of its engagement with the family of Mason O'Connell-Conway, a four-year-old boy murdered in March 2021 by Tegan McGhee, who was jailed for life at the Central Criminal Court.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrestednot reported
  3. Chargednot reported
  4. In courtnot reported
  5. Verdictnot reported
  6. Sentenced14 Jan
    2 reports
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
24 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatThe child's father phoned emergency services saying his son had fallen from the top bunk of his bed and could not be roused. (corkbeo.ie)
  • whatParamedics found the boy lying on the floor of his bedroom, unresponsive. (corkbeo.ie)
  • whatMedical professionals noted numerous bruises of various ages on the child's face, head, torso and legs indicative of non-accidental injuries. (corkbeo.ie)
  • whatThe child had been subjected to physical abuse for weeks and spent four days grounded before the stepmother shook him and struck his head off the floor. (corkbeo.ie)
  • whatThe child suffered a blunt force injury to his abdomen that lacerated his liver. (corkbeo.ie)
  • whatA pathologist found that either the head injury or the liver injury would have caused death on its own. (corkbeo.ie)
  • whatThe defendant told gardai she snapped and shook the child, screaming at him to behave, before he fell on the floor. (corkbeo.ie)
  • whereThe murder occurred at a house in Rathbane, Limerick city, that McGhee was renting with the boy's father. (corkbeo.ie)
  • whereThe child died at Temple Street Hospital, Dublin, on 16 March 2021. (corkbeo.ie)
  • whenThe child was found with serious injuries on 13 March 2021 and pronounced dead three days later. (corkbeo.ie)
  • whenThe child was born in early 2016. (corkbeo.ie)
  • whenMason was taken off life support and pronounced dead on March 16, 2021, three days after he was found with severe injuries to his head and liver on the floor of his bedroom. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe sentencing was carried out by Mr Justice Paul McDermott at the Criminal Courts of Justice. (corkbeo.ie)
  • sentenceTegan McGhee, 32, of no fixed abode, was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Mason O'Connell Conway. (corkbeo.ie)
  • sentenceJohn Paul O'Connell, 36, was previously sentenced to seven years in prison for endangerment, neglect and impeding McGhee's apprehension or prosecution. (corkbeo.ie)
  • sentenceMcGhee was also sentenced to four years and six months for two counts of child cruelty, running concurrently with the life sentence. (corkbeo.ie)
  • sentenceTegan McGhee was jailed for life after admitting Mason's murder part-way through her trial. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherTusla said it was awaiting the outcome of an independent review of its engagement with the family of a murdered four-year-old boy. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherMcGhee is 32, a native of Limerick but of no fixed abode. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherMason had extensive bruising on his body, including clusters of yellowish bruising that medical witnesses said suggested older injuries. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherMcGhee told gardaí she had shaken Mason, she did not know for how long, and he had fallen and banged his head. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherSome months before March 2021, McGhee told social workers she had kicked Mason. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherMcGhee had been placed in foster care as a teenager after her mother died tragically. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe National Review Panel comprises professionals from a range of disciplines and is independent in the performance of its functions. (irishtimes.com)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 15 Jan2026
    Sentencedirishtimes.com, follow-up
    Independent review into Tusla’s engagement with family of murdered four-year-old boy

    Adds Tusla's statement confirming Mason was not in its care but known to the agency with a private family arrangement, details of the independent review process, and further background on the circumstances of the murder including McGhee's statements to gardaí and social workers, the child's injuries, and the family arrangement that placed Mason in McGhee and O'Connell's care.

    victim, 4, male, irish (judged from name)convicted, Tegan McGhee, 32, female, named, irish (judged from name)Tegan McGheeconvicted, 36, male, irish (judged from name)
  2. 14 Jan2026
    Sentencedcorkbeo.ie, first report
    'Pure evil' stepmother who murdered Limerick boy (4) named in court

    Reports the sentencing of Tegan McGhee to life imprisonment and four years and six months for child cruelty, details of the trial including the child's injuries and the father's account, the father's prior seven-year sentence, and the mother Elizabeth Conway's statement outside court.

    victim, Mason O'Connell Conway, 4, male, irish (judged from name)Mason O'Connell Conwayconvicted, Tegan McGhee, 32, female, named, irish (judged from name)Tegan McGheeconvicted, John Paul O'Connell, 36, male, named, irish (judged from name)John Paul O'Connell