Gardai are trying to piece together the timeline of events that led to the deaths of a father and his two sons in Co Cork in an apparent murder suicide.
One line of inquiry is that a row broke out at the farm near Kanturk over land and inheritance.
It appears the older brother 26 year old Mark O’Sullivan had been shot first in a bedroom in the house.
His death is being investigated as a murder.
Mark’s mother Ann fled the scene and raised the alarm.
When gardai finally gained entry to the farm, they found the body of Mark’s younger brother.
23 year old Diarmuid and their father Tadhg were found about half kilometre away in a field.
They had also died from gunshot wounds.
Post mortem exams are underway on the bodies of these three men.
Gardai are now trying to figure out which man shot Mark dead and what transpired after that.
Cork Community Left "Devastated And Numb"
Paul Gallagher from Castlemagner GAA says the community are devastated.
A very quiet Kanturk town centre tonight,with a community left reeling after the deaths of 3 men in a series of shootings near the town this morning.Garda negotiators&armed officers rushed to a remote farmhouse after gunfire was reported. I have been speaking to locals @RedFMNews pic.twitter.com/giRX88usJp
— Fiona O'Donovan (@FionaRedFM) October 26, 2020
"Yesterday started out as such a beautiful autumn morning but a long shadow has been cast over the community."
Mr Gallagher says while it will take a while for the shadow to lift, they will rally wound Ann O'Sullivan.
Three legally held firearms have been recovered from the scene.
They are being examined along with the house and land.
The O’Sullivan family has been described as well known and well liked.
Locals says it will take some time to understand how this could have happened.
