A PARISH priest has said that those responsible for the double murder of a man and woman shot dead in Limerick city were involved in a great evil that had brought “shame on everything we call human”.
Southill parish priest Fr Pat Hogan told mourners at the funeral Mass yesterday of Des Kelly (24), who was murdered along with Breda Waters (28), at his home in O’Malley Park last weekend, that the double killings had plunged the local community into misery.
“We thought we were getting away from the insane evil acts of violence, but this has landed us back into the land of misery, reopening old wounds for so many of us who have suffered wounds that took so long to heal.
“Whoever was involved in this, whoever may have conspired or given the word, you need to hear that you have been involved in a great evil. You also need to hear that your evil deed has marked you like no other evil deed can and it has marked you for life.”
Fr Hogan told those gathered at the Holy Family parish church in Southill that they might never know who was responsible for the murders but he warned the killer: “You will see it constantly every moment of your life.
“You need to hear that you have brought shame on yourselves and on your families. You have brought shame on your children. You have brought shame on everything that we call human; you have blighted all our names by your evil deed,” he continued.
Mourners at the funeral were led by Des Kelly’s mother Maryann and his partner Olivia.
He is also survived by his three young children, Faith, Jaydon and Lily Rose, and his brother Jonathan and sister Teresa.
Prayers were also said at yesterday’s Mass for Mr Kelly’s brothers Noel and Patrick who died tragically.
Meanwhile large crowds also gathered yesterday for the funeral of Ms Waters.
A photograph of the smiling mother of three greeted mourners attending the Mass at St Mary’s Church on Athlunkard Street.
In his homily, Canon Donough O’Malley acknowledged the anguish of the moment and asked mourners to pray for Ms Waters’s three young children, Courtney (9) Amber (4) and Jonathan (2).
Prayers were also said yesterday for the three brothers of Ms Waters – Edward Waters, who was murdered in 1997 and Noel and John, who died tragically.
“We are gathered in this church to celebrate the Mass for one who has left us so young and so tender of years, yet full of joy in that short time span,” Canon O’Malley said.
Four men and four women arrested in connection with the double murder inquiry remained in custody at separate Garda stations in Limerick and Clare last night. Gardaí believe Mr Kelly may have been targeted because of an outstanding drugs debt and that Ms Waters was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Postmortem results revealed that both victims were shot once in the head with a shotgun.