Post-mortem exam expected on bodies of Co Louth family

Post-mortem examinations are set to be carried out on the bodies of three family members who were found dead at their home in the Drumgowna area of Co Louth.

Mark and Louise O’Connor, who were aged in their 50s, and their son Evan, who was aged in his 20s and had additional needs, were believed to have been violently attacked at their family home and sustained fatal injuries.

The use of a firearm during the incident has been ruled out by gardaí.

Evan was attending a day care centre in Drogheda, and the bodies are understood to have been discovered by a staff member who called to the house to collect him yesterday morning.

The house is located close to the Louth/Monaghan border near the villages of Killanny, Louth Village and Tallanstown.

The Armed Response Unit was one of several garda units which attended the scene shortly after 10am yesterday morning.

The area around the family’s stone cottage remained sealed off overnight. The scene is the subject of an ongoing forensic examination by the Garda National Technical Bureau.

A man in his 30s was arrested nearby yesterday morning and he continues to be questioned at a garda station in the northwest region.

He is being detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act and can be held for a maximum period of 24 hours.

However, this period of detention can be suspended to allow the man food and rest breaks. It is understood that medical assistance has been sought for him.

Gardaí are not looking for anyone else in relation to the incident and there is no ongoing threat to the public.

Yesterday evening, the bodies of the three family members were taken by two hearses to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda, where post-mortem examinations will be carried out today.

Members of the Garda Technical Bureau attended the scene yesterday afternoon and a blue tent was erected in the driveway of the house.

Meticulous searches were carried out both inside and around the outside of the property as forensic personnel tried to establish the events that occurred in the lead-up to the family members’ deaths.

Gardaí are continuing to investigate all of the circumstances surrounding the incident. However, the working assumption is that the family members were murdered.

Local representatives yesterday paid tribute to what they described as a well-known and highly regarded family that played an active role in the community.

They also appealed for people not to re-share false information about the incident that had been circulated online and via messaging apps.

The investigation is being conducted from an incident room at Ardee Garda Station and a Senior Investigating Officer has been appointed.

A family liaison officer has also been appointed to support the family of the deceased and keep them informed of any developments.

Gardaí have appealed to anyone with any information on the incident to contact the investigation team by calling Drogheda Garda Station on 041 987 4200, the Garda Confidential Phone Number at 1800 666 111 or any garda station.

Gardaí added that investigations remain ongoing.