Hundreds gather at vigil for Edenderry house fire attack victims

Edenderry “probably won’t recover” from the deaths of four-year-old Tadhg Farrell and his great aunt Mary Holt, one of the organisers of a candlelit vigil walk has said.

Hundreds turned out to the event at Derry Rovers AFC on Wednesday night, which was arranged as a “stance against the drugs scourge in our community”.

The club grounds back onto Castleview Park, where Tadhg was visiting his grandmother and grand-aunt on Saturday night.

He and Ms Holt, 60, were discovered dead after the home was set alight, in what Gardai described as a “reckless, callous and murderous” arson attack.

James Doyle, vice chairman of Derry Rovers, said what happened was “absolutely devastating” for the local community, adding: “This town will probably won’t recover from what’s happened here, people won’t recover.”

He said some of the family, including Tadhg’s uncle, played for the club and they wanted to come together to show “we’re thinking of him, and his family”

But also as a show of defiance against what he describes as an “influx of crime and violence”.

He added: “We’re just trying to come together as one, just to say enough’s enough.”

The vigil started with prayers from Deacon Paul Wyer, who said the “violent and unexpected and untimely” nature of Tadhg and Ms Holt’s deaths made “their passing even more tragic and sorrowful”.

Those gathered then walked the perimeter of the football field four times, a lap for each year of Tadhg’s life.

Ms Holt was remembered as someone who was “always smiling”.

Her neighbours, Francis Judge and Mary Daly, said they came to pay their respects adding the neighbourhood has been in a “very bad way” since the attack.

Tadhg’s grandmother, who has not been named, continues to receive treatment in hospital for serious burn injuries.

On Wednesday, gardai released CCTV footage of the attack that appears to show two hooded individuals smashing a window before setting an object on fire and throwing it into the property.

Investigators released the footage as part of a renewed appeal for information.

The attack came after a Christmas tractor run in Edenderry at 6pm, attended by more than 250 vehicles raising money for local charitable causes.

Post-mortem examinations have been completed, but the results are not being released for operational reasons.

An Garda Siochana is supporting the families as they prepare for the funerals.

To date, the investigation team has carried out more than 150 investigative jobs, 250 house-to-house inquiries, retrieved more than 60 pieces of CCTV and taken more than 100 written documents.

The force acknowledged the support shown by the local community in Edenderry and the wider area to the family and to investigators.

Chief Superintendent Anthony Lonergan of the Laois/Offaly garda division said: “Tadhg should be with his family today.

“His grand-aunt Mary should be working in a local nursing home, where she worked for over 40 years, helping her community.”

Mr Lonergan said he wanted to reassure the community that gardai are there to support them.

He added: “An Garda Siochana is determined, and will identify all those responsible for the deaths of Tadhg and Mary and bring them before the courts.

“I appeal directly to any person with any information on this violent, fatal incident to speak with investigating Gardaí.”

The investigation team can be contacted at the incident room at Tullamore Garda Station on 057 932 7600, the Garda confidential line on 1800 666 111, or any garda station, in particular Edenderry garda station.