Funerals of Carlow brothers to take place

The funerals of Ruairi and Eoghan Chada will take place in Co Carlow today.

The young brothers - aged five and ten - will be buried this afternoon following requiem mass in their home village of Ballinkillen.

Their father Sanjeev appeared in court in Co Mayo last night - charged with their murders.

The bodies of Ruairi and Eoghan Chada were discovered in the boot of their father's crashed car near Westport last Monday afternoon - less than 24 hours after they were reported missing.

Its is believed they were strangled.

Their remains were returned to Ballinkillen near Bagenalstown on Wednesday night - following post mortem examinations at Mayo General Hospital in Castlebar.

Their bodies have been lying in repose in their home since midday yesterday - ahead of their requiem mass at St Lazarian's Church in Ballinkillen at 1pm this afternoon.

The brothers will be buried in the adjoining cemetery.

The chief mourner - Ruairi and Eoghan's mother Kathleen - is expected to be joined by hundreds of people for the mass - including family members, friends and neighbours from the close knit community.

Members of Sanjeev Chada's family from Northern Ireland and Britain - including his mother - will be in attendance - but Sanjeev himself will not.

The 43-year-old - who appeared in court in Swinford last charged with the murder of his two sons - is due before Harristown District Court in Co Roscommon at 11am this morning.