GARDAI are searching for three men and possibly a fourth after the murder of the Co Tipperary cattle dealer, Mr Danny Fanning. He was shot by armed robbers at his home in Rosegreen on Tuesday night.
Gardai believe the motive for the attack on Mr Fanning (73), his wife Bridget and daughter Rosaleen, was robbery.
Gardai have established that the gang stole £155 from Mrs Fanning's purse and £5 from her daughter's purse. They left behind a further £160 in another wallet.
Mr Fanning was shot in the knee and apparently bled to death after three men broke in tying up him, his wife and his daughter.
A Garda spokesman described two of the men as 6 ft, with athletic builds. The third man was smaller. All three wore balaclavas. Gardai believe the gang had a detailed knowledge of the area and of the Fanning family.
The investigation is being led by Chief Supt Liam Harris and Supt Ned O'Dwyer. "This is a terrible crime to occur in a small local community" Chief Supt Harris said last night.
Gardai spoke to Mrs Fanning and her daughter Rosaleen yesterday but said they were too upset to conduct a lengthy interview.
The preliminary results of the post mortem carried out by the State pathologist, Prof John Harbison, at Our Lady's Hospital, Cashel, will be known today.
The men entered the house at 7.45 p.m. Rosaleen Fanning was in the kitchen where she was grabbed by the men, who were armed with two shotguns.
The three family members were moved into a downstairs bedroom. Mr Fanning was then moved into the kitchen.
The gang demanded the keys of a safe from Mr Fanning, although gardai say they believe there was no safe in the house.
Neighbours said Mr Fanning would not have kept large sums of money at home. It is thought that the father of eight put up a fight.
A few minutes after Mr Fanning was brought into the kitchen, his wife and daughter heard a single shot. Afterwards the raiders ransacked the house. It is not known what time they left but at 9.38 p.m. Rosaleen managed to free herself and then her mother.
They found Mr Fanning tied up and the raiders had cut the telephone line in the house, Rosaleen had to run to a neighbour's house.
She telephoned her employer, Dr William Ryan GP, who arrived at the home within minutes. He was followed by gardai. Mr Fanning was pronounced dead at the scene. It is believed he died of blood loss or a massive heart attack.
The gang had taken Rosaleen's white Renault 19 registration number 91 TS 231 as far as the village of Rosegreen, about two miles from the house.
Gardai believe there may have been a fourth man involved who acted as the driver of a moss green coloured car, believed to be a Volkswagen Polo or a small Fiat with a 95D registration number.
They have a number of reported sightings of the ear in the area earlier on Tuesday evening.
Mr Fanning was the father of eight children: Donal, Bernadette, Mary B, Michael, Laurence, Ann Marie, and Rosaleen, the youngest. He had six grandchildren.
Anyone with information should call the incident room in Cahir on 052 42597. The Garda confidential free phone is 1 800 666111.