Hawe’s remains were removed after 8am along with the cross that had the word 'evil' etched on it

As if by design, the early morning sun etched its way to full beam as the body of Alan Hawe, who killed his wife Clodagh and their three young sons at their Cavan home last year, was finally exhumed and removed from its resting place at Castlerahan graveyard.

His body's transference from the rural Cavan grave site means for the first time that the remains of Clodagh Hawe (nee Coll) and her boys Liam (14), Niall (11) and Ryan (6) can rest in peace without their murderer by their side.
Work to exhume the Kilkenny native's body began shortly after workmen, officials from Cavan County Council and members of An Garda Siochána arrived at the scene at 5.30am this morning.

His coffin was lifted and finally removed just after 8am, when the remains were placed in a non-descript silver Toyota Hiace. The body of Mr Hawe was then taken to Glasnevin Crematorium, a request reportedly included in a note discovered at the family home at Barcony near Ballyjamesduff where the family's bodies were found in late August last year.

The murder suicide devastated the local community and rocked the whole country and, since then, it’s understood there has been growing pressure to have Mr Hawe’s body removed from its burial place in the locality.

It’s understood a licence for the exhumation was granted as far back as last March but officials were concerned for condition of the ground, and were awaiting a period of sustained good weather before the work could begin.
The marker that indicated where Hawe’s remains rested in Castlerahan, which had been vandalised with the word ‘EVIL’ scraped into it, has now been removed.

The grave of Clodagh and her boys have this morning been dressed with fresh flowers.

Vice-principal at the local primary school, Mr Hawe (40) was also considered a respected member of the community in Castlerahan, praised for his work with the church and sporting clubs. His wife Clodagh (39) was also a popular primary school teacher in Oristown in neighbouring Co Meath, and their boys were heavily involved in a variety of activities in the area.
Meanwhile the inquest into the Hawe family’s death is expected to take place later this year. Gardaí continue to treat the investigation as one of murder suicide, and have said previously that they are not looking for anyone else in relation to the deaths.
Psychologists from the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) were subsequently assigned to the primary schools with whom the family was linked to support and advise teachers in assisting students and staff dealing with the tragedy.
The family of Clodagh have since the tragedy managed to raise tens of thousands of euros for national domestic violence support charity, Women’s Aid. They are furthermore campaigning for refuge services here in the Cavan-Monaghan region after launching their Lighthouse campaign.

They previously also told The Anglo-Celt that the shock and distress of what had occurred to Clodagh and her boys conspired to Mr Hawe being buried with the rest of his family, but this subsequently changed as more information about what occurred in the now empty family home came to light.