A RURAL CO Louth community has said it will come together and stand by one another after three members of one family were found dead in a home yesterday.
Gardaí discovered the bodies in Drumgowna, an area between Louth village and Tallanstown, on the Louth and Monaghan border.
The victims have been named locally as parents Louise Doherty O’Connor and Mark O’Connor, and their 27-year-old son Evan O’Connor.
The tragic discovery was made after gardaí were called to the family home just before 10am to respond to what is understood to have been a stabbing.
A man was arrested yesterday near the scene and is currently detained by gardaí – it is believed medical assistance had been sought for the suspect.
The area where the deceased were discovered is very rural and sparsely populated. The sounds of birds and dogs barking in the distance was the only noise that could be heard close to the scene yesterday.
Local Fianna Fáil councillor John Sheridan remarked that it’s a “really, really, really quiet area”.
However, he said that in such rural areas, ”everyone gets behind one another”.
Local Fianna Fáil councillor John Sheridan on the shock in the local community after the killing of three people in Co Louth. He urges people not to speculate and share unsubstantiated stuff in WhatsApp groups. @thejournal_ie pic.twitter.com/ZXbTnWsZb5
— Diarmuid Pepper (@Diarmuid_9) September 29, 2025
Sheridan added that the “very remote and rural” nature of the area “makes it all the more shocking and upsetting”.
He said local people had heard ambulances and garda cars yesterday morning and it quickly became obvious that “something very serious had happened”.
Sheridan also said the family are “well-known and respected” – particularly in sporting events and running.
Mark (55) was a regional manager for the National Advocacy Service which provides support for people with disabilities.
Louise (56) was a qualified nurse, who taught English to Ukrainian people living in Ireland. She also volunteered in pet rescue centres.
Evan O’Connor, their son, had attended the Drogheda ABACAS school which delivers specialist autism education for children with complex needs.
He graduated from the school in 2016, and went on to win an award for his work in the local community.
Warning over online speculation
Sheridan caution against online speculation over what had happened.
“People need to think before they send stuff to family WhatsApp groups.
“Ultimately, the full facts will come out when gardaí deem it appropriate and it’s important that people don’t do anything that might compromise that.”
Meanwhile, local Sinn Féin TD Ruairí Ó Murchú also urged people not to speculate, particularly online.
“I don’t have words, because there’s only so many times you can say ‘shocking’,” said Ó Murchú.
“This is rural mid-Louth, people were having conversations in relation to how the club championships are going and whatever else – no one was expecting the storyline that, unfortunately, we got.”
My heart goes out to the family and the wider community and nobody should be dealing with this.
Local Fine Gael councillor Rachel Kerley described the incident as a “complete tragedy”.
She lives around four kilometres from the scene where the bodies were discovered and said there was “overwhelming shock” when the news broke locally.
Councillor Rachel Kerley speaks to the media near the scene. Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
She also encouraged local residents who are impacted by the tragedy to “reach out to support systems and contact relevant people if they are struggling with this grief and overwhelming shock”.
“It’s a small rural area, we’re all quite close together, we all look out for each other,” said Kerley.
“It’s important that we all look out for one another in this very difficult time and we’ll all be there for each other.”
