Ireland Crime

Named as

Victim

Offences

Murder; attempted murder

Where

Co. Cork

Reporting

2 reports, 6 Oct 2025 to 6 Oct 2025

Outlets

irishmirror.ie, corkbeo.ie

Photographs

as published, with the outlet's credit

Images are shown from the outlet that published them and link back to the article. Copyright stays with the credited photographer or agency.

• Murderer set for fifth parole application in 2002 Rochestown stabbings Murder; attempted murder · Co. Cork

  On 27 April 2002, Peter Whelan, 20, stabbed Sinead O'Leary, 19, 20 times and Nichola Sweeney 11 times at the Sweeney family home in Rochestown, Cork, after being ejected from a pub earlier that evening. Whelan, a stranger to the two women, had two knives concealed under his hoodie, one of which broke during the attack. He pleaded guilty to the murder of Sweeney and the attempted murder of O'Leary, receiving a life sentence for the murder and 15 years, later reduced to 11, for the attempted murder. In 2019 he was granted three supervised day releases per month, and he is now preparing his fifth application to the parole board. O'Leary has called for an exclusion order to be placed on Whelan if he is released.

  Sentenced, 6 Oct 2025Victim · 2 reports

Each entry shows how that report described them.

1. 6 Oct2025
   Otheririshmirror.ie, in Murderer set for fifth parole application in 2002 Rochestown stabbings

   Monster stabbed teen with such ferocity knife broke then returned to help Gardai

   victim, Nichola Sweeney, female, irish (judged from name)Nichola Sweeney♀IE
2. 6 Oct2025
   Sentencedcorkbeo.ie, in Murderer set for fifth parole application in 2002 Rochestown stabbings

   Killer stabbed Cork women 39 times then calmly returned to scene to help Gardai

   victim, Nichola Sweeney, female, irish (judged from name)Nichola Sweeney♀IE

Matched on the name as printed, ignoring quoted nicknames, and split by the ages reported. Two people who share a name and age would appear together here.