Fire at house in Co Offaly was ‘designed to kill inhabitants’, says minister
By Gráinne Ní Aodha, Press Association
A fire at a house in Co Offaly in which two people died was “designed to kill inhabitants”, the justice minister has said.
A murder investigation has been launched after the deaths of a woman and a child at a house on Castleview Park in Edenderry at around 7:45pm on Saturday.
The victims have been named as four-year-old Tadhg Farrell and Mary Holt, aged 60.
Another woman, aged in her 50s, is being treated in hospital for her injuries.
Post-mortem examinations were to be carried out on Sunday.
Superintendent Liam Geraghty said at the weekend that they believe the house was attacked by a person or persons unknown at this time and that the fire was deliberately started.
He described it as a “reckless, callous and murderous attack on a family home”.
On Monday, Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan once again condemned the “shocking” attack.
“I want to condemn in the strongest possible terms the appalling attack on a family in their home in Edenderry on Saturday night,” he told RTÉ.
“When you look at those deaths and when you look at the visible damage to the property, what this shows that this was an attack that was designed to kill the inhabitants.”
Mr O’Callaghan said one line of inquiry being pursued by gardaí was that the attack was “caused by people involved in the drugs trade”.
He added: “If that is the case, it shows how dangerous that trade is and how dangerous it is to innocent people, such as the two innocent people who were killed and the innocent woman who was seriously injured.
“It just confirms that drugs are destroying societies and people who get involved in drugs need to know that it will wreak devastation not just on themselves but those who are close to them.”
Mr O’Callaghan said gardai are following a “definite line of inquiry” into the “shocking” attack, and urged anyone with information to come forward.
An appeal has been issued for anyone who was in the vicinity of Castleview Park or adjoining roads between 7pm and 8pm on Saturday, or who was driving in the vicinity of Castleview Park or adjoining roads between 7pm and 8pm on Saturday, to contact gardaí.
