Gardaí investigating a suspected murder-suicide in north Cork which left a father and two sons dead are examining whether the attack may have been planned by two of those involved.
This follows the discovery of a lengthy and detailed apparent suicide note on one of the deceased, according to The Irish Times.
Gardaí found the note on the body of Diarmuid O’Sullivan (23) as they investigated the death of his brother, Mark (26), at the family home near Castlemagner on Monday morning and the subsequent deaths of Diarmuid and his father, Tadhg (59) whose bodies were found in a field.
It is understood the note, which ran to about a dozen pages and was strapped to Diarmuid O’Sullivan’s thigh, suggested that both Diarmuid and his father had been planning to shoot Mark over a grievance they had regarding a proposed will dividing up the family’s 115-acre farm.
Informed sources told The Irish Times that gardaí are investigating whether Mr O’Sullivan Snr and his son Diarmuid had been planning over a number of days to shoot Mark.
Mark had accompanied his mother to Dublin where she underwent surgery earlier this month for a serious medical condition.
Gardaí believe a final autopsy on Wednesday will help piece together the tragedy, which has left people "numb, stunned, and devastated".
State pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster will complete the last of three autopsies on Wednesday.
Local priest Fr John Magner said the mother and wife of the deceased, Anne O'Sullivan, was "absolutely devastated".
"You cannot put words into how she felt," Fr Magner said
He said the people of Castlemagner parish near Kanturk were "numbed, stunned, devastated" by the deaths.
Fr Magner said it was also devastating for family and friends.
"To find that friends they have are just gone, departing this world so early in life," he said.
"It's awful for families too when people pass away very young. It's very tough on people. It's very difficult for younger people to understand why all these things happen," he told RTÉ.
