Funeral of John Hennessy takes place in Mitchelstown
The remains of the late John Hennessy leaving the church after requiem Mass at the Church of Our Lady Conceived Without Sin in Mitchelstown, Co Cork. Picture: Dan Linehan
The funeral has taken place of one of the brothers who died in a double murder and suicide tragedy in Cork last week.
The Requiem Mass for John Hennessy, 59, of Curraghgorm in Mitchelstown, was celebrated at the church of Our Lady Conceived Without Sin in Mitchelstown in line with public health guidelines yesterday.
A small group of mourners attended. Just three people stood outside the church.
Mr Hennessy was found dead in the river Funshion last Friday just a few hours after the bodies of his older brothers, Paddy, 60, and Willie, 66, were found with severe injuries on the family farm in Curraghgorm.
A Garda investigation is ongoing but it is believed Johnny attacked and killed his brothers with an axe before taking his own life.
The funerals of Paddy and Willie are due to take place in the town on Thursday.
Johnny is survived by his sister Breda, his brother-in-law Ned, his nieces Elaine and Lisa, by several grandnephews and a grandniece, and he is mourned by a wide circle of friends and neighbours.
The family has appealed for privacy and asked that messages of condolences be left online.
Paddy, who lived at Linden Hill, Mitchelstown, is survived by his sister Breda, his daughter, Elaine, and his partner Kitty Russell.
And Willie, who lived at St Fanahan’s Court in Mitchelstown is also mourned by his sister, Breda, his brother-in-law Ned, and nieces Elaine and Lisa.
While Garda enquiries are ongoing, it is understood detectives have been unable to establish a motive for the attack in which the two men died.
They have ruled out any land row or farm income issues linked to the small family farm at Curraghgorm, where the brothers ran a small firewood business, and there is no evidence at this stage that mental health issues were a factor.
Sources have said they are baffled about what triggered the violent attack on Paddy and Willie and say they may never establish exactly why it occurred.
The Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission is conducting a separate investigation into Garda contacts with Johnny Hennessy on the Thursday evening, several hours before the men’s bodies were discovered.
The issue of the contact between gardaí and someone who died a short time later was referred to GSOC by a Garda superintendent last Friday.
It has since emerged that gardaí from Mitchelstown telephoned Johnny Hennessy at about 6pm that evening after they were contacted by a family member who expressed concerns about him.
When gardaí phoned him and he said he was OK, they accepted his assurance and they did not make a physical call out to the farm at Curraghgorm.
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