Publican dies in ‘burglary gone wrong’
Matt Farrell, 64, was found dead in his house in Daingean, Co Offaly, by one of his sons early yesterday morning. He was lying face down with his hands tied behind his back.
Initial indications suggest Mr Farrell, described as very heavy and in bad health, may have suffered a heart attack during the robbery.
Reacting to the shocking tragedy, Garda Commissioner Fachtna Murphy contacted local senior officers and ensured them that all necessary resources would be available to them.
“It looks like a burglary gone wrong,” said a Garda source. He said there were no obvious injuries.
Mr Farrell, who has four adult children, worked as a publican in the small village, which is 16km from Tullamore, for more than 30 years.
Postmaster Noel Quinn said there was a sense of disbelief: “Everybody is a bit scared. They can’t feel safe in their own homes anymore. He was a lovely quiet man, he kept to himself but was hard-working and a good barman.”
Gardaí said Mr Farrell was last seen at 2.30am by a member of staff at The Gaelic Bar.
He was discovered by his son, Matthew, who he lived with, in the living room of their home, which is beside the pub, at 7.30am.
It’s thought Matthew and his brother David owned the bar and that a local woman managed it. Their two sisters Lorraine and Michelle live out of town.
Gardaí said both the house and the pub had been in a poor state before the burglary. Because of this, gardaí are not sure what, if anything, was taken.
Officers said there wasn’t much cash in the house at the time as pub takings had been lodged earlier on Tuesday.
The Garda Technical Bureau arrived at the scene yesterday. Given the state of the house and the pub, officers said the bureau would be there for at least a day conducting their forensic examination.
Officers are hopeful that the robbers may have left forensic clues behind them.
Gardaí do not yet have any firm suspects. They will investigate the possibility that local criminals, who might have known Mr Farrell’s movements, were involved. They will also investigate if known burglary gangs could have carried it out.
At a press briefing yesterday, Garda spokesman Superintendent John Gilligan appealed to the local community for assistance: “If anyone has seen anything suspicious in the area last night, early this morning or even in the last number of days, please come forward.
“The community in Daingean is a close-knit community, they might have information that can assist us, it doesn’t necessarily have to be something suspicious.
“The Garda Commissioner himself has been in constant contact with the Assistant Commissioner and Chief Superintendent to ensure all necessary resources required are available to carry out this investigation.”
