Locals struggle to make sense of double tragedy

A rural community in Co Sligo rallied around a couple yesterday who returned to their home from a Sunday afternoon outing to find that two of their sons were dead.

Nine-year-old Brandon Skeffington was found with fatal stab wounds inside the family home near the village of Banada, while the body of his older brother Shane, aged 20, was discovered by their father in a shed at the back of the house.

The brothers are survived by their parents Shane and Carmel, and by their 15-year-old sister and a three-year-old brother.