Kanturk shootings: Two separate funerals to take place for father and sons

By Digital Desk Staff

The father and his two sons who died in a suspected murder-suicide shooting at their family home in north Cork are to be buried over the coming days in two separate funerals.

Gardaí believe that Mark O’Sullivan (26) was shot dead as he lay in bed in the family home on Monday by either his brother or father, apparently as part of a dispute over a will according to the Irish Times.

His father Tadhg O’Sullivan (59) and brother Diarmuid (23) then appear to have gone to a field some distance from the home at Assolas between Kanturk and Castlemagner, where they appear to have taken their own lives.

The three men are survived by Ann O’Sullivan, described on the death notices as the “heartbroken wife” of Mr O’Sullivan and “heartbroken mother” of Mark and Diarmuid.

A private requiem mass for Tadhg and Diarmuid O'Sullivan will take place at St Mary's Church in Castlemagner on Friday afternoon, with burial afterwards in the nearby St Brigid's Cemetery.

Mark O’Sullivan will be buried following a funeral mass at the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Kanturk on Saturday afternoon, which will also be private for family members.

His burial is to take place at an undisclosed location.

Respects

Both sets of funerals will take place in accordance with current HSE and government guidelines on Covid-19. Mark O’Sullivan’s funeral will be livestreamed and may be viewed at https://www.churchservices.tv/kanturk.

There are no live-streaming facilities at St Mary’s Church in Castlemagner but it is expected members of the local community will pay their respects to Tadhg and Diarmuid O’Sullivan by lining the streets of the village.

Local parish priest Canon Toby Bluitt said people in the parishes of Kanturk and Castlemagner offered their deepest sympathies to Ms O’Sullivan “on the tragic loss of her husband, Tadhg and sons, Mark and Diarmuid.”

“All of us are in deep shock and numbed by this heart-breaking news. We pray the Lord’s consolation for Ann and her family and pray for God’s mercy for Tadhg, Diarmuid and Mark. May they rest in peace,” he said in a notice posted on the parish Facebook page.

Garda investigations into the three killings are continuing, with gardaí satisfied following postmortem examinations that one of the three men was shot a number of times.

If you are affected by any of these issues, please contact Pieta House on 1800-247247 or the Samaritans by telephoning 116123 for free, or by emailing [email protected]