THE Kerry farmer, Mr Patrick Daly (69), who was murdered near his home outside Killarney last week, sustained massive injuries before he died.
These included a broken shoulder bone, a broken arm, a perforated ear drum and severe injuries to the skull, as well as a broken jaw, fractured bones in his back and a smashed rib cage. It appears that his murderer or murderers used a blunt instrument such as a metal bar in the fatal attack.
After his death, Mr Daly's body was dumped in a disused well on his 105 acre farm and covered with black plastic sheeting normally used to bale silage. He lived alone in a remote farmhouse at Kilcummin, near Killarney.
Gardai searched the farm twice last week before finding Mr Daly's body on Tuesday afternoon. He had been missing for seven days.
His disappearance was reported to gardai by family members. The farm was worked by Mr Daly, his brother Sean (71) and his nephews, James (29) and Eugene (21). The farm was owned by the dead man.
As the investigation continued yesterday, gardai searched the farm and outlying area for a murder weapon. An early arrest in the case is not expected, although it is understood the Garda has a definite theory on the motive. Questionnaires were being issued yesterday to residents in the parish.
Mr Sean Daly spoke yesterday for the first time since his brother's death. He said he had no idea why anybody would have wanted to harm his brother and he was at a loss as to a possible motive.
Mr Jack Finnegan (80), who was a life long friend of the deceased, said three dogs, two of which were owned by Patrick Daly and the third by himself, went missing last summer. "They were good dogs but we never saw them again," Mr Finnegan said.
The disappearance of the dogs, he said, had been deeply upsetting to Mr Daly and himself and had led to "bad blood" in the area. Since before Christmas, said Mr Finnegan, Mr Daly had been troubled about something but had not articulated it. Last summer, Mr Daly was treated for a psychiatric complaint at a hospital in Tralee.
The investigation centres on the collection of evidence - most importantly the murder weapon.
Mr Daly's body was removed from the well on Wednesday, after which a post mortem was carried - out at Tralee General Hospital.