Hundreds mourn tragic family

Memorial service:Hundreds of people gathered at a special memorial service in the village of Monageer, Co Wexford for the four members of the Dunne family who were found dead in their family home last week.

The service was organised by neighbours of the family who spoke at the service about the shock which the deaths had brought to the small community. Members of the Dunne family attended the service, including Adrian Dunne's mother, Mary, and many of his brothers and sisters.

Local children presented symbols at the service to remember the lives of Adrian Dunne (29), his wife Ciara (24) and children Léan (5) and Shania (3).

They included a Dora the Explorer doll, which the children loved, Liverpool and Wexford GAA jerseys, to signify the family's love of sport, and a CD, representing their love of music.

Catherine O'Brien, a neighbour of the Dunnes, spoke of the shock and grief which have gripped the entire community since news broke of the deaths last Monday afternoon.

"It sent shock waves through Moin Rua [ the local housing estate], through Monageer and through the county of Wexford. In the space of an hour, our village had turned into a media frenzy," she said.

"We all feel numb, shock, sadness and total disbelief. Adrian, Ciara, Shania and Léan had moved in less than a year ago. They were a quiet family and interfered with no one.

"Shania and Léan were two beautiful cute little girls who will be badly missed by everyone . . . especially our young children who played with them." The local parish priest Fr Bill Cosgrave led the congregation in prayer for both sets of families immediately affected by the tragedy.

In a ceremony marked by music and prayers, he prayed that people would find the strength to come to grips with the devastating events.

Funeral arrangements for the burial of the Dunnes have not yet been announced.

The issue of where the children will be buried was still the subject of a disagreement last night between the families of both parents.