LAST UPDATE | 27 Oct 2020

Tadgh O'Sullivan and his sons Mark and Diarmuid were found dead yesterday.

TWO POST-MORTEM examinations were completed today after a father and his two sons were found dead yesterday in Kanturk, Co Cork.

The men have been named locally as Tadgh, Mark and Diarmuid O’Sullivan. The third and final post-mortem examination is due to take place at 11am tomorrow. 

Gardaí said a formal identification of the three men will then follow. 

At around 1pm yesterday, the body of a man in his 20s with a gunshot wound was discovered in the bedroom of a house in Kanturk. 

At approximately 1.40pm two further bodies, a male in his late 50s and a male in his 20s were discovered in adjoining lands. Gardaí said preliminary indications are that both bodies have gunshot wounds.

It is understood that a family of four were living in the house and there may have been a dispute involved. Gardaí are not looking for any other person in connection with the incident at this time. 

Gardaí are appealing for witnesses who may have seen or heard anything in the area to come forward.

Gardaí said this evening that “contrary to some reports in the media”, there had been no prior interaction between gardaí and the deceased men or their family before yesterday.

Speaking to RTÉ’s News at One earlier today, parish priest Father John Magner said he had visited the scene to try to offer comfort to the mother and wife of the deceased men. 

“I spoke with her for some time,” he said. “I offered her words of consolation. I prayed for the strength for her to cope with this enormous loss.”

Father Magner said the local community in the nearby town of Castlemagner have been left shocked by the events. 

He said: “People are just numbed, stunned, devastated, if that would even describe it… it’s a lovely parish. I’m sure they’ll support one another. People will stand together and support one another.”

In a statement, Cork Institute of Technology said that Diarmuid had recently completed his studies and was due to be conferred next week with a first class honours degree in accounting. 

Dr Dan Collins, head of student affairs, said the entire CIT community was in shock following the news.

He said: “There are no words anyone can say to express how people are feeling. This tragedy is heart-breaking, and we extend our thoughts and sympathy to his mother, Ann. We also keep in our thoughts, and prayers, his brother Mark and his father Tadgh.

We are mindful at this time of his friends, classmates, and staff of the Department of Accounting and Information Systems, as well as the extended family and neighbours.

Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Paul Gallagher from the local Castlemagner GAA club said that the O’Sullivan family was very well liked in the area.

“We will rally around Anne the best we can but the Covid situation doesn’t help,” he said. “Grief is terrible at any time, let alone when it’s under tragic circumstances.”

With reporting by Orla Dwyer