A New York man is accused of killing his wealthy financier dad at a celebrity favorite five-star hotel in Ireland — after the father traveled there to help him through a mental health crisis.
Henry McGowan, 30, of Brooklyn, appeared in Portlaoise District Court Thursday morning to face charges in connection with the death of his father, John McGowan, the BBC reported.
The elder McGowan, who was in his 60s, was found unresponsive Tuesday night in a leisure area of Ballyfin Demesne, an exclusive luxury hotel in Ballyfin, County Laois, about 65 miles southeast of Dublin, according to RTÉ News.
Henry was traveling through Europe on an aimless trip that devolved into a mental health crisis, sources told The Post.
John traveled to Ireland to rescue and seek treatment for his troubled son — something he had done before.
The caring father arrived in Ireland Tuesday, just hours before his death, the sources said.
Henry McGowan’s defense lawyer, Barry Fitzgerald, said that his client had significant mental health issues and requested that he receive a psychiatric assessment in prison, the BBC reported.
Just last year, Henry McGowan received plaudits for running the New York City Marathon as part of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
“If you’re struggling, ask for help or someone near you is struggling with a mental illness, offer help,” he told ABC 7 New York at the time.
“The organization is so great because it’s targeted not only to individuals with mental illness but really it’s more about the family of the individuals and empowering them and educating them to help that person,” he added.
Judge Andrew Cody remanded McGowan to custody at Cloverhill Prison and adjourned the case until Nov. 18.
The incident remains under investigation, police said.
Ballyfin Demesne is one of Ireland’s most exclusive retreats, with past celebrity guests including Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, who stayed there during their honeymoon in 2014, ABC News noted.
Accommodations at the luxe resort — which sits on 614 lush acres and features just 20 rooms and a private Gardener’s Cottage, per its website — range from nearly $800 to $1,977 per night, according to TripAdvisor.
Records showed that Henry McGowan lived in a two-bedroom apartment in Brooklyn Heights. John McGowan, a head partner at a stock trading brokerage firm in New York, lived in a multi-million dollar home in Connecticut, the DailyMail reported.
