Former Garda found shot dead in house in Cavan

Gardaí have sealed off a house in Co Cavan following the discovery of the body of a man in his 40s. He had been shot in the head.

The remains of John Kerins was discovered in a large detached two-storey house in the townland of Cornaveagh, near
Bailieborough shortly after midday. Kerins is a former member of An Garda Síochána.

While investigations are still at an early stage gardaí are treating his death as murder.

When family members were unable to contact him, a member of his family went to his home at around 11.30am and found him dead.

The alarm was raised immediately and when local uniformed gardaí arrived at the scene the sealed the area off.

The house remains sealed off and the dead man’s body is still at the property pending the arrival of a pathologist from the State Pathologist’s Office.

The remains will undergo a preliminary examination by a pathologist at the scene before the body is removed for a full post-mortem.

Gardaí believe Mr Kerins was killed in the property and a full forensic search of the house has begun.

He is a former member of An Garda Síochána and spent some time working for specialist Garda units.

He was known to a Dublin man who has been missing from the Cavan area for some months and is presumed murdered.

Gerard Daly, who was originally from Knockmore Gove, Tallaght, Dublin, was a dog breeder who had settled in the Bailieborough area in recent years. Nothing has been heard of him since he went missing on June 26th of this year.

He would have celebrated his 44th birthday on Wednesday. Gardaí have long been concerned for his safety and believe that he has met with foul play.