Big crowd expected at Flood funerals

LARGE CROWDS are expected in Co Wexford this evening for the removal of the Flood family who were found dead in suspicious circumstances in Clonroche on Saturday.

The bodies of Diarmuid Flood, his wife Lorraine, and their children Mark and Julie were released to their families on Tuesday night.

The family of four will be buried together tomorrow. The funeral cortege will arrive at St Clement’s church in Cloughbawn, Clonroche, at 7pm this evening.

Fr Richard Hayes said the Requiem Mass would be held at 2pm tomorrow, followed by burial in the adjoining cemetery.

The four bodies were discovered in their burning home on the main street in Clonroche in the early hours of Saturday. However, postmortems found that none had died as a result of the fire.

Mr Flood (41) had been shot in the head, and died where the fire started. His wife Lorraine (38), nee Kehoe, had been shot in the chest and was found dead in the couple’s bedroom.

Gardaí said her injury was not self-inflicted, while Mr Flood’s may or may not have been.

The exact causes of their children’s deaths have not been established. Mark (6) and Julie (5) suffered injuries consistent with a fire, but it did not cause their deaths.

The postmortems found no evidence of physical trauma to the children. Toxicology tests are being awaited to establish if the children had been sedated. These results could take several weeks.

Cllr Denis Kennedy, a representative of the families of Diarmuid and Lorraine Flood, has appealed for privacy for the bereaved families as they mourn.

“We ask of the media to understand our wishes to be allowed the dignity to put to rest our loved ones without undue attention or speculation.”