Gardaí investigating an incident that saw deceased pensioner Peader Doyle (66) propped up in a Carlow post office have arrested two men.
The two men, aged in their 30s, were arrested in Carlow town on Wednesday morning. They were being detained at the local Garda station under section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act and can be questioned for up to 24 hours.
“The investigation is ongoing and no further information is available at this time,” a Garda spokesperson said.
It comes after Mr Doyle’s body was presented at Hosey’s Post Office on Staplestown Road on the morning of Friday, January 21st at about 11am by two men seeking payment of his weekly pension.
Paramedics and gardaí were called when it became clear Mr Doyle was dead, though his fully clothed remains were being propped up by the two men. The men departed the scene, leaving the remains of Mr Doyle behind, and were not paid his pension.
Gardaí investigating the incident believe Mr Doyle was already dead when he was taken into the post office. A postmortem has determined there was no foul play but was only able to estimate the time of death as some time on Friday morning.
Investigation
Gardaí have been trying to establish if Mr Doyle was already dead when he was taken from his home on Pollerton Road, about 500 metres from the post office, or if he died on the way.
The two men propping up Mr Doyle's remains in Hosey’s post office on Staplestown Road were both known to him.
Both went to gardaí last week and gave statements voluntarily, according to The Irish Times. They have insisted Mr Doyle was alive when they left his home, saying they helped him on the walk to the post office as he had been unwell.
The men have also said they did not realise Mr Doyle had died until he became very heavy and that they believed he died in the post office.
Locals in Carlow last week spoke of their shock at the incident, which has generated significant attention across Ireland and beyond.
