Forever My Boys, new podcast from The Irish Sun, tells for the first time the full heartbreaking story of the murders of young brothers Eoghan and Ruairí Chada by their father Sanjeev in 2013
- The boys’ mother Kathleen Chada and undertaker Edmond Kearney reveal publicly the extent of Sanjeev Chada’s attack on his eldest son, and the agonising race against time to get the boys back in their own bed one last time.
- Narrated by The Irish Sun’s Nicola Bardon, episodes one and two are available
Forever My Boys, a brand-new podcast from The Irish Sun, examines the carefree lives, childhood dreams and horrific deaths of brothers Eoghan and Ruairí Chada.
On July 28, 2013, their father, Sanjeev Chada, drove them across the country from their home in Carlow to Ballintubber, Co Mayo. A man under mounting pressure following a recent brush with the law, he embarked on a journey that would end in unimaginable tragedy.
The following morning, as gardaí frantically tried to track them down, he murdered the boys in the family car. He placed their bodies in the boot before driving around the area, later attempting to take his own life after hearing on the radio that he was the subject of Ireland’s first-ever Child Rescue Ireland Alert.
The murders remain among the most brutal and senseless in modern Irish history. Yet much of what happened – and the lasting impact on those closest to the case – has remained untold until now.
The compelling new four-part podcast from The Irish Sun’s Deep Dive team features exclusive interviews, powerful first-hand accounts and expert insight into one of Ireland’s most devastating cases of filicide. The series explores not only the horrific crime itself, but the lifelong impact it has had on the family and loved ones left behind.
Kathleen Chada reflects on unimaginable loss, her complex feelings towards the man who took the lives of her two sons and destroyed her own, and her determination to ensure 10-year-old Eoghan and five-year-old Ruairí are remembered for who they were and what they dreamed of becoming – a chef, a farmer or even the next Rory McIlroy.
Undertaker Edmond Kearney speaks publicly for the first time about the extraordinary efforts to bring the boys home in time for their family to say goodbye with an open coffin.
The series also asks what lies ahead for Sanjeev Chada, who has applied for parole more than a decade after murdering his two sons.
Building on the storytelling that has made The Irish Sun’s Deep Dive podcasts a chart-topping success, Forever My Boys examines the tragedy through the voices of those who lived it, while also exploring the wider questions surrounding domestic homicide, family violence and the lasting impact of murder on those left behind.
Narrated by Nicola Bardon, episodes one and two are available now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and all major podcast platforms.
Episode three will be released on July 15, followed by a bonus episode on July 22 examining Ireland’s criminal justice system and the families forever haunted by murder.
Speaking on the podcast, Kathleen Chada said: “I know my boys. And I know that they loved me and they loved him. I will never, ever, ever forgive him for what he did. And there is no forgiving him. But on whatever level, the boys have forgiven him. And I have felt that quite strongly, which is quite bizarre at times. And, he doesn’t deserve it. He deserves nothing.
He took the most innocent and loving of boys and he betrayed everything good in them, betrayed them. Whatever he did to me, he betrayed them. And, he should not exist in this world. But he does.”
Garda Brian Kilkelly, who found the boys’ bodies: “It’s something that will never ever leave my mind. I saw two young boys, fully clothed, kind of facing each other, in the boot. I checked for signs of life. It appeanicred to me that they had been dead for some time.”
Edmond Kearney on bringing the boys home from Mayo to Carlow ahead of the funerals: “I had a full 24 hours’ work ahead of me to get them back. There was a massive festival in Castlerea. And we just got slightly held up in that coming home. And one particular person asked, was that the two lads? And I said it was. And suddenly the streets just opened up and away with us again.”
Fiona Wynne, Editor of The Irish Sun, said: “At the Irish Sun, we want to tell the stories behind Ireland’s most devastating crimes with compassion and sensitivity. Kathleen Chada has shown extraordinary courage in sharing her family’s story, while Edmond Kearney offers a remarkable insight into the compassion and care shown behind the scenes during a family’s darkest moments.
At its heart, Forever My Boys is about ensuring Eoghan and Ruairí are remembered not jus for the tragedy that took their lives, but for the joy, laughter and happiness they brought to everyone who knew them.”
You can listen to Forever My Boys here on Spotify or Apple
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