No explanation, killer’s family told at funeral

Mourners at the funeral of a man who shot and killed his ex-girlfriend last Friday before taking his own life were told there will never be an explanation for what he did to the two families.

Robert Hartery, 45, was buried yesterday in his native Grangemockler, Co Tipperary, shortly before his former partner Sarah Regan, 30, was laid to rest in Co Roscommon.

Robert’s sister Anne-Marie said she and her family were sorry for what he did on Friday night in Cloonfad in Co Roscommon, but that they forgave Robert. She said there were questions that will never be answered. “Why, oh why, we’ll never know,” she said.

Robert was a loving son, brother, father, grandfather, uncle and friend, his sister said. “I would just like to say that we are very sorry for what you’ve done. We’ve no answer; we never will. We are all shocked by the terrible event, we have no words or explanation, we are all hurt and in pain. But Robert, we will forgive you. We love you and always did and always will.”

Robert’s last words to Anne-Marie on leaving her house last Friday were, “See you sis,” she said. “So now I say, see you brother.”

Anne-Marie recalled the person she and her family knew throughout his life. A “great worker”, Robert spent much of his time on building sites in Ireland and Britain, loved to be active and was proud of the home he had built for his family. His interests included darts, fishing and playing cards.

Other family members present were Robert’s mother Kathleen, brother Frank and his three children Evan, Aaron and Leah. He also had a grandson.

Prayers were also said for the woman he killed, Sarah, and her two children.

Robert is alleged to have tricked Sarah into meeting him at a ghost estate in Cloonfad on Friday night.

He shot her a number of times in the head before hiding out in a schoolyard, where he shot himself some time later.

Fr Gear told the funeral the Hartery family had been “overwhelmed with grief” since the double killing. He urged them to get the help available both from him and the wider community and to cherish the happier memories. “It is to that you must hold on.”