Quiet fishing village plunged into shock

PEOPLE living in the quiet fishing village of Ballycotton have been left numb after a father killed his two young daughters and then took his own life.

Ella Butler, 2 and Zoe, 6, were found dead at their family home a mile west of the village at about 10.30am yesterday.

Three-quarters of an hour earlier, their father, John, 43, had driven his Toyota Yaris at high speed into a ditch not far from the family home. The car burst into flames and he died at the scene.

Mr Butler’s wife, Una, was on the way to the scene of the car crash after being notified by gardaí of her husband’s death. It only emerged a short time later that her two daughters were also dead.

The deaths shocked locals, especially parents whose children were attending Scoil Réalt na Mara, where Zoe was one of the 98 pupils.

School principal Derry Keogh described first-class pupil Zoe as “bubbly” and “a beautiful, young child”.

“On behalf of the school, the parents and the whole school community, we are deeply saddened and shocked by this tragedy that has happened and our thoughts, feelings and prayers go to the family and the wider family,” Mr Keogh said.

He said Zoe was the youngest in her class.

“Our main focus as a school is to look after the children in the school and help them to cope with this tragedy and help them over the next couple of days and we will try to do that to the best of our ability with the help of the professional services of the National Education Psychological Service and other people who are offering to help us,” Mr Keogh said.

Archbishop Dermot Clifford also expressed his shock at the deaths and called for prayers following the tragedy.

“My heart goes out to all concerned; the children’s mother, to the extended family, relatives and friends and to the community of Ballycotton and to the people of the whole parish of Cloyne” he said.

Local county councillor Michael Hegarty said a very dark cloud had descended over the community.