Patrick Quirke’s GP gives evidence at murder trial

Patrick Quirke’s GP has told his trial that he confided in him about his affair with Mary Lowry and he felt he still had feelings for her after the break-up.

Mr. Quirke, a 50-year-old farmer from Breanshamore, Co. Tipperary denies murdering his former lover’s boyfriend sometime after June 3 2011.

Dr. Ivor Hanrahan said Patrick Quirke mentioned work and financial related stressors when he called to him for a routine check-up in Sept 2010.

He said he referred him to a counsellor and subsequently prescribed anti-depressants for him, mainly to help him sleep.

In Feb 2011, he said he told him about an affair he had with Mary Lowry – his wife’s sister-in-law.

He said he told him it was a source of “upset, distress and guilt” and asked him not to document the affair in his file.

When asked if he thought Mr. Quirke still had feelings for her, he said he did before adding he was “quite hurt and upset” that she was with someone else.

In her evidence earlier in the trial, Mrs. Lowry said she started seeing Bobby Ryan in August 2010.

His last reported sighting was leaving her home on June 3rd 2011.

Mr. Quirke denies murdering the local DJ sometime after that date and the date he discovered his body in a tank on her farm in April 2013.