Local people gathered last night at the scene of the brutal double killing in Co Kilkenny, shocked that such a tragedy could happen in their midst.
Many had heard the news when they attended 7 o'clock Mass in the parish church, which is just 50 ... yards from where two-year-old Robyn Leahy and George McGloin had lost their lives.
One of the first to realise something serious had occurred was local shopkeeper Mrs Ann Egan, a friend and neighbour of Robyn's mother, Lorraine.
"I heard screaming in the street, but at first I thought it was only kids", she told The Irish Times.
However, she then saw Ms Leahy running down the street with her hand covering her throat.
Supt Pat Hogan, of Kilkenny, who is leading the Garda investigation, said it appeared that a number of neighbours had then gone to Ms Leahy's house after she raised the alarm.
They succeeded in removing Robyn from the house and brought her across the street. It was not yet clear, however, whether the little girl was still alive at this time. "Obviously, the people involved are still very traumatised and have not been able to give a detailed picture of events at this stage", he said.
Supt Hogan described what had happened as a "huge tragedy" for a small town like Callan. Everyone, including garda∅ who had attended the scene, was shocked by the tragedy.
Mrs Egan described Lorraine Leahy as a "very nice girl".
"The little one was an absolute dote - she was like a robin. I thought she was very aptly named. She used to come in to me three or four times a day for lollipops."
Supt Hogan said that both the little girl and the dead man had "obvious wounds". The State Pathologist, Dr John Harbison, was due at the scene late last night.
Supt Hogan said that a number of implements had been found in the house which could be relevant to the investigation. He could not say whether garda∅ were seeking anybody else; but they were satisfied that they were dealing with a domestic incident.
He said that the dead man had had a relationship with the mother of the little girl. Local people said they believed Mr McGloin was the child's father, but garda∅ said they could not confirm that at this stage.
