Updated at 5.12pm
TAOISEACH ENDA KENNY has condemned what he’s described as the “brutal and savage murder” of two elderly brothers found dead at a house close to his constituency office in Castlebar this morning.
The bodies were discovered at a house in New Antrim Street in the County Mayo town at around 7am today. The scene has been preserved as initial examinations are carried out by investigators, and it is expected full post-mortems will take place later today.
Gardaí said earlier they were treating the deaths of the two men in their 60s as ‘suspicious’ and are now appealing to anyone who may have seen anything unusual or suspicious in or around the New Antrim Street, Tucker Street and Linenhall Street area between 9pm last night and 7am this morning.
The brothers’ names are not being released until next of kin have been informed.
Paul Dunne, a first cousin of the two men, told Mid West Radio the brothers were “harmless” and said he had been left “numb” at the news of their deaths. Local councillor Ger Deere said the town was in “total shock”.
Reporting from the scene, Mid West Radio’s Teresa O’Malley said that tea had been brought to the men from the pub across the street last night, and that they had been found dead by a home help assistant this morning.
The Taoiseach condemned the killings as an “act of savagery” and said he hoped those responsible would be brought to justice:
Might I just say I was shocked this morning to get a call from my own town, where there has been the brutal and savage murder of two men that I knew well, two brothers who were residents of the street where my office is for very many years, and I find this is an act of savagery.I hope that person or persons responsible are brought to justice in due course.
Anyone who can assist with the investigation is asked to contact the incident room at Castlebar Garda Station on 094-9022222, the Garda confidential telephone line 1800 666 111 or any Garda Station.
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