A priest told mass-goers in the Burren village of Corofin on Sunday morning that the area of Corofin and Kilnaboy “is numbed” by the deaths of married couple, Joe Collins and Claire Collins.
At 11am mass at St Brigid's Church on Sunday, Fr Pat O’Neill asked for prayers for the couple and "also for the families and all of those who know them who are traumatised by their deaths and especially all of the people of this community”.
The funeral mass for the couple is to take place in the same Church on Monday morning and Fr O'Neill said: "It is in our togetherness and support for one another that we can continue on."
Gardaí are treating the deaths of the parents of two daughters last Thursday at Crossard, Kilnaboy as a suspected ‘murder suicide’ where Joe Collins (54) is believed to have killed his Claire (51) who was found dead in the bedroom of their home before Mr Collins took his own life in an outhouse at the detached bungalow in the rural area.
At mass on Sunday, Fr O’Neill said: "We pray for God’s blessing on the Collins family - living and dead - and that all of them somehow will be to continue to live their lives and be able live for one another and we commend those who have died to the care and love of Christ Jesus.”
The Collins recently became grandparents to a grandson and speaking after celebrating mass on Sunday morning, Fr O’Neill said: "We don’t understand what has happened. We haven’t an understanding of it. We haven’t the knowledge or the wherewithal - that is why we are traumatised in so many ways and all we can do is try to be there for one another and try to support one another in whatever way that we can.”
He added the people are in shock "and will continue to be”.
He said: "You never forget things that affect us hugely - we never forget those things and we learn to live with life and live with the difficulties life presents and difficulties come to us in all different shapes and sizes and this is completely different to all the other difficulties that come our way.”
Fr O’Neill said that people can be supported in the aftermath of such a tragedy by trying to foster a sense of togetherness, prayerfulness, sense of support and compassion.
He said: "There is no such thing as passing of judgement on any situation or of anybody or anything. We are all one. We are God’s creation. We all belong to one another.”
Declan Kelleher gave the first reading at the 11am mass and taught Claire Collins for two years during his time as teaching principal at Corofin National School.
Asked to comment on the impact the tragedy is having on the community outside St Brigid’s Church on Sunday morning, Mr Kelleher said: "The community is absolutely devastated for both families."
He said: "There is very little more you can say. Everyone is just in a sense of can’t understand what has happened and feels so sorry for both families and feels so sorry for the family of the deceased - the two girls that are left."
He added: "It is just a terrible, terrible tragedy. I taught Claire for two years in the primary school. Lovely, lovely, lovely girl. They were both lovely people. That is all you can say. There is just utter devastation in the area.”
In a separate tribute in an online Condolence Book to the couple on rip.ie, signed on behalf of Delcan Kelleher and Mary Kelleher, Declan says: "I had the privilege of teaching Claire in 5th and 6th class in Corofin and she was an absolute joy to have in school. She was so full of life with boundless enthusiasm, energy and incredible talent. Her warm and radiant kindness towards everybody will always be remembered. We will always remember Joe as a kind and caring neighbour.”
The rip.ie death notice is accompanied by a photo of the couple on their wedding day.
Another mass goer said after mass on Sunday: “It is an awful shock. There is complete numbness in the area. You hear about these kinds of tragedies in the news up the country and you think it is a sad story but when it comes to your own door, you are in a complete freeze and in shock.”
The woman said: "You wake thinking 'was that a dream?’"
Another mass goer commented: "A death is bad enough but a death like that...You can’t explain it - there are no words.”
Gardaí are not looking for anyone else in relation to the deaths of the couple and a file will be prepared for Clare County Coroner, Isobel O’Dea for an inquest to be held at a later date.
The remains of the two are due to repose at St Brigid’s Church from 5pm to 7pm on Sunday and the funeral mass is to take place at 11am on Monday followed by a cremation service at Shannon crematorium at 2pm.
The couple are survived by their "loving" daughters, Sara and Tara "and their cherished grandson, Rian" and also by the Collins and Meere families.
