April 20th, 2007 (am):A HSE public health nurse visits the Dunne family at their home on the Moine Rua estate, Monageer, for routine developmental checks on Shania (3) and Leanne (5). The nurse later reports having no reason for concern.
April 20th, 2007 (pm):The family drives to New Ross, where they make inquiries about funerals with Cooney's undertakers. Mr Dunne also finalises his will. Undertaker Frances Cooney becomes concerned for the family's safety following their queries, which include questions about coffins and burial plots. She contacts New Ross gardaí and a detective tells her to contact Fr Richard Redmond, who knows the family and could assess their wellbeing.
April 20th, 2007 (pm):Fr Redmond visits the Dunne family home for two hours and while the family do not appear distressed, Fr Redmond's concerns for their welfare are not fully allayed.
April 21st, 2007 (am):Fr Redmond contacts Monageer parish priest Fr Bill Cosgrave by phone and asks him to visit the Dunnes.
April 21st, 2007 (pm):Fr Cosgrave calls to the house. The blinds are pulled down and there is no answer. Gardaí first contact HSE officials in Wexford by phone. The Garda Press Office says, the HSE official spoken to promises to raise the case with a colleague and act on the matter.
The HSE says its officials reminded gardaí that they (the gardaí) have the power under section 12 of the Childcare Act to remove the Dunne children immediately into care. Locals report seeing at least one of the girls still alive at about 1.30pm.
April 21st, 2007 (pm):The dead man's brother, Sebastian Dunne, speaks to his brother by phone at about 6.30pm. He later reports hearing his sister-in-law and two nieces in the background.
April 22nd, 2007:A Garda patrol car from Ferns station drives into the Moine Rua estate a number of times and past the Dunne family home as part of safety checks on the family.
April 23rd, 2007 (am):Fr Cosgrave calls to the Dunnes again, but there is no answer. Gardaí again contact the HSE and agree that members of the force will meet with HSE officials at the family home. This is the first effort by the HSE or the Garda at direct contact with the family since the safety fears first emerged on Friday afternoon. Morning appointment between the bodies is rescheduled until 2pm.
April 23rd, 2007 (pm):Gardaí arrive at the scene just before 2pm. The blinds are drawn and their calls go unanswered. They forcibly enter the house through the back door and find Mr Dunne hanging in the hallway and his wife and two daughters dead in the livingroom, having apparently been smothered.
April 24th, 2007:Government announces it is to establish an independent inquiry into the deaths of the family, which will run parallel to three other investigations into the case, including two by the Garda and one by the HSE.
April 28th, 2007:Adrian Dunne is buried in the village of Boolavogue, Co Wexford. The bodies of Ciara, Leanne and Shania are taken to Ciara's native Donegal for burial.
January 7th, 2008:An independent inquiry into circumstances surrounding the deaths begins following completion of a Garda report into the incident. The members of the inquiry team include former assistant Garda Commissioner Jim McHugh and Leonie Lunny, chief executive of the Citizens Information Board and barrister Kate Brosnan.
July 2nd, 2008:Report of inquiry group delayed for two months due to concerns over libel and defamation.
September 3rd, 2008:Cabinet agrees to allow a one-month extension for the report of the investigation because of the "complex legal issues involved".
October 7th, 2008:Inquiry report is submitted to the Government.
May 12th, 2009:Redacted report published by Minister for Children Barry Andrews.
