Funeral of Christopher Crowley to take place

The removal of the man who abducted his six-year-old daughter and shot

her before shooting himself takes place in Cork today.

Christopher Crowley, 44, shot his daughter Deirdre with a sawn-off

shotgun and then turned the weapon on himself after detectives tracked

him down to his home in Clonmel, Co Tipperary, last Thursday.

The two had been living at the house for several months - less then 60

miles from the Cork home of Mr Crowley’s partner and Deirdre’s mother

Christine O’Sullivan, from whom he kidnapped the child in December 1999.

Deirdre was buried yesterday afternoon at Kishkeam cemetery alongside her

maternal grandfather after a funeral service in Ballydesmond where her

mother spoke of praying for her daughter’s safe return.

Plain clothes officers visited Mr Crowley’s rented cottage on Thursday

afternoon, at which point it is understood Deirdre was locked in the

bathroom.

They returned 10 minutes later after hearing a "muffled" sound to find a

firearm beside the two bodies.

An internal garda investigation into the circumstances surrounding the

double shooting has been launched.

In Clonmel, there was surprise that Mr Crowley, who had grown a beard and

wore a baseball cap, had been able to keep the girl in hiding.