Kilkenny family who died spent part of final night planning holiday, inquest told

A Kilkenny family who died in tragic circumstances last September apparently spent part of their last night planning a holiday, an inquest was told yesterday.

Mrs Maeve Byrne (35) was stabbed to death at the family's home in Cuffesgrange on the night of September 25th. Shortly afterwards, it is believed, her husband, Stephen, drove off Duncannon pier, Co Wexford, drowning himself and the couple's sons, Alan (9) and Shane (6).

An inquest into the boys' deaths in Kilkenny was told that both had alcohol in their blood when they died on September 26th. The deputy State pathologist, Dr Marie Cassidy, said this might have been caused by bacteria but it was possible they had been given alcohol before they died.

A separate inquest into Mrs Byrne's death, also held yesterday, was told the last phone call from the family's home was a 46-minute Internet connection made shortly after 10 p.m. on Monday, September 25th. A print-out showed the caller had been looking up holiday phone numbers.

Mr Paul Byrne told the inquest he last spoke to his brother, Stephen, by telephone at 8.30 on the same evening and Stephen said he would phone him the next day. When he did not receive a call he went to the house in Cuffesgrange at 7.30 p.m., and again later that night, and found it locked.

The following afternoon Mr Byrne went back to the house with his sister and father, in the company of Sgt Mick Quinlan of Kilkenny. The group gained entrance to the house, where Mr Byrne found Mrs Byrne's body.

Dr Cassidy said Mrs Byrne died from a cluster of stab wounds to the left side of her chest. She was also stabbed in her left upper arm.

The second inquest was told how the two boys' bodies were found off the Hook peninsula on the following Friday. The family's car was recovered off Duncannon pier on the same day. Mr Stephen Byrne's body was found later off the coast of Wales.

Dr Cassidy said both boys had died from drowning. The indications were that both were alive when the car went into the water. Injury marks to Alan's head might have been caused when the car was being driven over the pier. Alan's blood was found to have 35 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood, while Shane had a "high level" of 55 mg. The putrefaction process could cause micro-organisms to produce alcohol, but it was possible they had been given alcohol before they died, she said.

The jury returned verdicts in accordance with the medical evidence.