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A north Cork community was devastated after a father and two sons were killed in a shocking murder-suicide shooting.
Diarmuid and Mark O’Sullivan and their father, Tadhg, were killed during the incident on rural farmland between Castlemagner and Kanturk yesterday.
They were 59, 25 and 23.
The tragedy unfolded shortly after 6.30 in the morning, when a family dispute, over the inheritance of farmland, got out of hand.
During the heated disagreement, one of the brothers armed himself with a firearm and fatally wounded his brother.
When his father, Tadhg O’Sullivan, tried to intervene, more shots were fired.
Mark O’Sullivan’s body was found in a bedroom in the home shortly after 1 pm by the Garda Emergency Response Unit.
His brother and father were found dead in a nearby field a short time later. Gardaí says they all suffered gunshot wounds.
The deceased men’s wife and mother, Ann, a woman in her 60s, had alerted neighbors that firearms had been fired at her home at around 6.30am.
Gardaí from Kanturk went to the scene and were informed that further shots had been heard from the field house, in Assolas, Kanturk.
A response to critical Garda incidents was established and the Garda Emergency Response Unit, Armed Support Unit, National Negotiation Unit, Technical Support Unit, South Region Dog Unit and Unit were deployed. Air Support.
The HSE National Ambulance Service provided additional support.
Garda negotiators attempted to contact anyone still on the property.
When there was no response, the Emergency Response Unit approached the home and the body of a son was discovered in a bedroom.
He had suffered a fatal gunshot wound.
No one else was present at the house and the Garda Air Support Unit helicopter launched an aerial search of the adjacent lands to find the missing men.
Their bodies were found next to an ancient fort on nearby farmland less than 40 minutes later.
the he learned that Gardaí had been called to the estate earlier this month as part of a simmering dispute related to a will.
According to sources, there was an incident at the home involving one of the sons, but it was controlled.
The mother, Ann, had just returned home on Sunday night after a period away from home.
Last night she was being comforted by family and friends.
Superintendent Adrian Gamble confirmed that several firearms were seized at the scene and will be subject to technical examination.
It is understood that two rifles and a shotgun were found.
“Both locations have been sealed and a full criminal investigation is underway,” Supt Gamble said.
“An Garda Síochana has appointed a family liaison officer and the family has requested strict privacy,” he said.
Last night, State Pathologist Dr. Margot Bolster and the Garda Technical Office were on their way to review both scenes, which remained closed.
The deaths have left the rural community reeling, and neighbors and public representatives described it as a ‘shocking’.
Fianna Fáil local councilor Bernard Moynihan said: “They are a lovely family and everyone is deeply shocked and saddened by what has happened.”
The family has been described as respected members of the Castlemagner community.
The siblings were college graduates and were described by neighbors as friendly and polite.
Gardaí is appealing to anyone with information to contact the Garda station 022 31450 in Mallow, the confidential Garda line 1800 666 111 or any Garda station.
An alarm was raised that firearms had been used at the family home in Assolas, between Kanturk and Castlemagner. Gardaí was told that one of the three men in the house may have suffered gunshot wounds.
Gardaí requested a media blackout on the incident, who initiated the response to the Critical Firearms incident.
Throughout the morning, Garda negotiators tried to contact the occupants of the house.
Members of the Emergency Response Unit entered the house and found the body of a brother in a bedroom. There were no other people present in the house.
The father and second brother were found dead in a nearby field. Both had suffered gunshot wounds.
The media blackout was lifted and Gardaí said they were not looking for anyone else as part of their investigation.
At a news conference, Superintendent Adrian Gamble confirmed that several firearms were seized at the scene and would be examined by a coroner.
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