The remains of Ian Bailey (66) who was the chief suspect in the murder of Sophie Toscan Du Plantier were cremated at the Island Crematorium in Ringaskiddy, Co Cork today.
The funeral service was low key with no notification being placed on Rip.ie.
It is understood that the ashes of the late British national, who lived in Ireland for over three decades, will be sent to his sister Kay Reynolds in England.
Frank Buttimer, Bailey’s solicitor in a statement said “I have been authorised to confirm the remains of Mr Bailey were cremated at a private event which occurred early this morning (Tuesday).
“The next of kin of Mr Bailey will not be making any further statement”.
The remains were taken by an undertaker from Bantry General Hospital to the crematorium this morning for the service.
Mr Bailey was a native of Manchester but spent his early years in Stockport where his father, Kenneth, was employed as a craft butcher. When he was nine the family moved to Gloucester where he attended a religious school called The Crypt.
Mr Bailey became interested in becoming a journalist after he read All the President's Men, the account of the Watergate affair by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. It kindled a lifelong interest in journalism.
He completed a two year journalism course in Wales in 1980. He married a fellow journalist in 1979 but the couple split in 1983. As a freelance journalist he supplied copy to UK publications such as The Times, The Sunday Times, The Daily Telegraph and The Sunday Mirror.
He first travelled to West Cork in 1986 when he came to write and story and left ‘enchanted’ by the landscape. He moved to Ireland in the early 1990’s after becoming disillusioned with his journalism career in Gloucester and Cheltenham.
He lived in Cork, Wicklow and Waterford before settling in West Cork where he met his long term partner Jules Thomas. The couple ended their relationship two years ago.
His father Kenneth died on Christmas Eve in 2000 whilst his mother Brenda passed away in 2016. Mr Bailey was unable to travel to the UK for her funeral as he was the subject of a European Arrest Warrant.
Mr Bailey was on two occasions detained by gardaí for questioning in relation to the 1996 murder of 39-year-old Sophie Toscan du Plantier. The French woman was murdered in December 1996.
Bailey always denied any wrongdoing in relation to the murder of the film producer who had a holiday home in West Cork. Sophie enjoyed spending time in her solitary rural retreat.
Mr Bailey was convicted in absentia after a trial in France in 2019. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
However, officials in France have been unable to extradite the British man to Paris to serve the sentence handed down by the courts.
The body of Ms Du Plantier was discovered outside her remote holiday home in Toormore on the outskirts of Schull in West Cork on December 23rd 1996.
