The bodies of three people found at a house in the small, rural village of Grange Con, Co Wicklow, yesterday are believed to be those of an elderly couple and their middle-aged son.
The deceased, John Joe Sleator and his wife Mary, both in their 80s, and their only son Patrick, in his early 40s, were discovered at the couple's farmhouse in Grange Con, in the west of the county near the town of Baltinglass.
It is understood their deaths were the result of a shooting. Two legally held rifles were found at the scene. Gardaí are not searching for anyone else in connection with the incident.
Neighbours had raised the alarm yesterday morning after the couple, who were regular Mass-goers, failed to attend the local parish church for Sunday Mass, and Mr Sleator snr did not arrive at the local shop to buy his morning paper yesterday.
Gardaí sealed off the scene early yesterday, and the Garda forensic unit arrived at the house during the afternoon. The chief State Pathologist, Prof Marie Cassidy, carried out a preliminary examination at the scene yesterday evening. and the bodies were removed last night to Dublin City morgue for postmortem examination today.
The family had lived in the village for many years. Mr Sleator was a retired farmer, and rented his land to two neighbouring farmers.His wife was a retired teacher who had taught in nearby Dunlavin for 30 years.
Mr Sleator jnr had trained as a welder, and was a well-know local sculptor of animal figures. He lived with his parents at the farmhouse.
The couple were keen golfers, and were long-time members of Baltinglass Golf Club, where Mr Slater was club president in 1997 and Mrs Sleator lady president in 1994. The couple were also very involved in the local parish. Mr Sleator sang in the church choir and his wife was a regular reader at Mass. The couple has two daughters, Deirdre, who lives in Limerick, and Carol in Britain.
The Sleator family was very well known and respected in Grange Con, a very quiet rural village of about 200 inhabitants which is situated between Baltinglass and Dunlavin off the main Dublin to Waterford road, about 50km from Dublin.
In a statement issued last night the family asked for privacy. "The family needs time to come to grips with this appalling tragedy and would ask the media to allow them some consideration and privacy so that they can deal with their grief and loss". The parish priest Father Tommie Dillon described the Sleators as a "lovely, lovely family".
The Grange Con area is mainly agricultural and is known for horse-breeding, with several well-established stud farms in the locality. Prayers for the family will be said in Baltinglass church today.
