FRANK MCCANN'S SHOCKING CRIME IN DUBLIN: DOUBLE MURDERER GETS TEMPORARY FREEDOM FROM ARBOUR HILL PRISON
In July 2017, a rare glimpse into the life of Frank McCann, a convicted double murderer serving a life sentence at Arbour Hill Prison in Dublin, was captured in photographs showing him outside the prison walls.McCann, who was convicted of setting fire to his own home in Rathfarnham in 1992, resulting in the tragic deaths of his wife Esther and their 18-month-old foster daughter Jessica, was seen enjoying a brief period of freedom while engaged in a prison job.
These exclusive images depict McCann, dressed casually in summer sportswear, walking unrestrained from the prison premises, accompanied only by a prison officer.
He was seen conversing animatedly with the officer as he moved through the area designated for staff and prisoners, a stark reminder of his ongoing incarceration yet temporary outside exposure.
Notably, McCann was not handcuffed during this outing, which has raised questions about the prison's trust in his conduct, given his history and the nature of his crime.
Sources close to the case have commented on McCann's attitude, stating, "He doesn’t engage with the rehabilitation services, doesn’t show any remorse, and considers himself a step above the other prisoners, looking down on them." The prison authorities' decision to assign him this job, which allows him to step outside the prison gates without restraints but under the watch of an officer, is viewed by some as a sign of trust, though it remains controversial.
McCann's heinous crime dates back to September 1992, when he deliberately set fire to his residence on Butterfield Avenue in Dublin, a act that resulted in the deaths of his wife Esther, aged 36, and their foster daughter Jessica.
The incident was part of a calculated effort by McCann to conceal a dark secret from his past.
At the time, authorities were conducting background checks as part of an adoption application for Jessica, who was the biological daughter of McCann's adopted sister, Jeanette, and was living with the couple since her birth in March 1991.
Unbeknownst to Esther, McCann was hiding a disturbing secret: he had fathered a child with a 17-year-old girl with special needs, a fact that threatened to ruin his reputation and jeopardize his adoption plans.
As the investigation into his past intensified, McCann made the chilling decision to kill Esther and Jessica to prevent the truth from coming out.
Esther, who was unaware of her husband's double life or the impending scandal involving his close friends, was completely blindsided by the tragedy.
McCann's connections to two prominent swimming coaches, George Gibney and Derry O’Rourke, further complicated the case.
Both men, who had been frequent visitors to McCann's home, were later charged with multiple sex-abuse offences.
Gibney faced 27 counts of indecent assault and unlawful carnal knowledge, and it was McCann himself who was the first to hear a young swimmer confide in him about being abused by Gibney.
Despite this, McCann defended Gibney, who subsequently left Ireland in 1993 and has never been extradited.
O’Rourke, meanwhile, was convicted in 1997 of abusing over a dozen young women and served nine years of a 12-year sentence.
At the time of the fire, McCann was a former competitive swimmer and coach, involved in training young athletes.
Jessica, the girl he and Esther intended to adopt, was the biological daughter of Jeanette, who had asked Frank and Esther to adopt her shortly after her birth.
The couple applied for adoption in May 1991, but the process was marred by McCann's secretive delays, which were later revealed to be motivated by his desire to hide his true past.
By September 1992, Esther was growing increasingly anxious about the status of their adoption application, which had yet to be approved by the Adoptions Board.
She repeatedly called for updates, and finally received an appointment scheduled for September 7.
Tragically, this appointment marked the beginning of the end, as it was during this period that the authorities uncovered McCann's secret: he had fathered a son with a teenage girl with special needs, and the child's birth had occurred just three months after his marriage to Esther.
The mother of the girl had sought help from Father Michael Cleary to arrange the child's adoption, but when she learned of McCann's application to adopt Jessica, she lodged a complaint, leading to the rejection of his application.
As the investigation into McCann's past deepened, it was revealed that he was involved in a series of attempts to kill Esther and Jessica prior to the fatal fire.
Several incidents were reported, including an electric blanket that was found burning at the foot of Esther's bed, a suspected gas leak that forced her to evacuate the house, and a brake failure in her car.
All these attempts appeared to be targeted at Esther and Jessica, with the final, successful attempt occurring on September 4, 1992.
On that night, McCann left a gas cylinder and a blowtorch on the hall table before departing for his pub, The Cooperage, in Blessington.
He returned home to find the house engulfed in flames and even attempted to enter in a desperate effort to rescue his wife and foster daughter.
The fire resulted in their deaths, and subsequent investigations revealed that McCann had previously tried to kill them at least three times.
During the Gardaí's inquiry, McCann attempted to shift blame, suggesting that a personal vendetta or his wife’s smoking habits might have caused the fire.
He also fabricated threats against himself and defaced his pub with graffiti reading 'Burn, you b*****d.' His bizarre behavior continued after the tragedy; he insisted that the family should not wear black to the funeral and, during a drive to a relative’s house, shouted out the window, "I’m a free man!" Following the funeral, McCann organized a surprise 60th birthday party for his mother and shortly thereafter traveled to California for a holiday, leaving Esther’s family to cover the funeral expenses despite having received an insurance payout.
His arrest came in April 1993, coinciding with charges against his friend Gibney.
His first trial in 1994 ended prematurely when he attempted to set himself on fire in a courthouse toilet.
It was not until 1996 that a second trial commenced, culminating in a guilty verdict in August of that year.
McCann was sentenced to two concurrent life sentences for the murders.
Despite serving over two decades behind bars, McCann remains incarcerated at Arbour Hill Prison, where he previously worked alongside notorious criminal Malcolm McArthur in the prison library.
During his imprisonment, he completed a degree in computer science and earned a PhD, demonstrating a complex and troubling history.
Esther’s family has expressed ongoing fears about the possibility of McCann’s eventual release.
Every three years, he is eligible to seek parole, and each time, the family submits objections to prevent his release.
One relative shared their feelings, saying, "I can’t describe the feeling of being near him," highlighting the enduring trauma and fear that persist decades after the tragedy.
