Wexford family 'may have been dead for days'
23/04/2007 - 19:51:14Two little girls and their parents may have lay dead in their family home for up to three days despite fears being raised for their safety, it emerged tonight.
The young couple, named locally as Adrian and Ciara Dunne, were discovered dead with their children, Leanne, five, and Shania, three, after a priest who met the family on Friday raised serious concern.
The grim discovery was made at 2pm when gardaí forced their way into the house in Moin Ruain estate in the village of Monageer, near Enniscorthy, Co Wexford.
It is not yet known how Mr Dunne, who was registered blind, or his family died.
However, investigating officers have ruled out accidental death and are not looking for anyone else in connection with the deaths.
Gardaí said they became concerned for the family on Friday and asked a local priest to visit them. The following day, officers also made contact with the Health Service Executive (HSE).
The HSE confirmed the childcare manager in Wexford Community Services was contacted.
"The Childcare Manager reminded the Gardaí of the out-of-hours services: that is Caredoc for medical concerns and Section 12 of the Childcare Act 1991 for children at risk - which allows the Gardaí to remove a child to a place of safety, which in Wexford would be Wexford General Hospital," added a spokesman.
The couple, aged in their 20s, and their children moved in to a newly built council house last summer.
It is believed Mr Dunne is originally from New Ross and his wife from Donegal.
The scene remains cordoned off tonight as forensic teams and state pathologist Dr Marie Cassidy piece together the tragic case.
The small village was in shock tonight as news of the discovery filtered through the community.
Neighbours were left numb as the harsh reality hit home that two tiny bodies may have laid dead on their street all weekend.
A local priest expressed concerns over the family's safety after meeting with them last week.
Father Richard Redmond called in to the family on Friday, but had not been able to make contact with them during the weekend.
"I was concerned and I phoned the following day and I didn't get a response," he said.
He confirmed Mr Dunne's brother James took his own life in recent weeks.
Parish Priest Father William Cosgrave also tried to visit the family on Saturday morning, but got no reply.
Today the men said prayers over the remains.
"The few people on the housing estate I have met already, they were shocked and stunned, they can't believe it, right on their doorstep a tragedy of this nature," said Fr Cosgrave.
"They are standing at the doors talking to one another, trying to come to grips with what's happened."
The victims' relatives arrived at scene this afternoon, consoling one another while the bodies remain in the house.
Superintendent Kevin Donohoe said gardaí came across a horrific scene, with the children and woman in the sitting room and man's body in the hall.
However, he stressed they did not have significant injuries on their remains.
Superintendent Donohoe said local officers had became aware of some information regarding the family late last week, but would not divulge what it was.
"Because of that information we were certainly concerned about some people in the house and gardai called out to the estate over the course of Friday, we didn't call to the door or speak to anyone, but we did ask a priest to call down and he did and he spoke to everyone in the house on Friday evening," he said.
"Also on Friday evening we contacted the Health Service Executive and raised our concerns, and we spoke to them again this morning prior to the discovery of the bodies."
Monageer, a small village with a population of between 700 to 800, is set about five miles outside of Wexford's second largest town.
The village is a close-knit community built around little more than a pub, community centre and a church.
People who gathered close to the scene of the tragic discovery described the family as "quiet" and as having "kept to themselves", since they moved to the area a year ago.
Wexford TD Brendan Howlin said he knew the family and described the incident as devastating.
"Monageer is very rural," he said.
"It is a close community, with good neighbours and good people and a strong local bonds.
"It's too early to even think how people are at this time. It's devastating."
The deaths were a terrible tragedy, said Enniscorthy TD John Browne. "All our thoughts are with the extended family at this moment. It's really just a terrible tragedy."
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