The bodies of all four members of the Dunne family who were found dead in their home at Monageer, Co Wexford, last Monday were released by gardaí yesterday to their families.
At a private ceremony in the mortuary of Wexford General Hospital last evening, the bodies of Adrian Dunne (29), his wife, Ciara (26) and their children Léan (5) and Shania (3) were received by Mr Dunne's mother, Mary, and other family members.
It was the second time in two months that she has lost a son. Her son James died by suicide last month and her husband Hughie died last year.
Members of the Dunne family arrived at the hospital amid tight security at 5.15pm. Forty-five minutes later, a cortege led by a Garda escort, followed by three hearses and two cars of mourners, left the hospital.
They travelled to Mrs Dunne's home in the townland of Forrestalstown, near the village of Clonroche, 20 miles away. As the convoy left the hospital grounds, a small group of patients, visitors and staff stood in silence.
The first two hearses carried the coffins of the parents and a third contained the white coffins of the two children. Two red roses had been placed on each of the children's coffins.
All four members of the family were waked last night at Mrs Dunne's home.
Speaking to South East Radio in Wexford earlier, she had requested "the media to stay away from the house" as the family wanted to "grieve in private tonight as we have only a short time with them".
It is understood that Mrs Dunne had agreed to a request from her late daughter-in-law's parents, PJ and Marian O'Brien of Burt, Co Donegal, that Ciara and the two children be buried in Donegal after an overnight wake in Co Wexford.
Differences between the Dunne and O'Brien families regarding the funeral arrangements appeared to have been resolved.
However, it was clear last night that the funeral arrangements will not be in accordance with the wishes expressed by Adrian and Ciara Dunne when they visited Cooney's funeral directors in New Ross last Friday and agreed detailed written instructions for their funerals.
The bodies of Ciara, Léan and Shania will be taken to Donegal today and their funeral is expected to be held there on Sunday.
Adrian Dunne's body will be waked tonight, for a second night, at his mother's home and then taken to St Cormac's church in Boolavogue for Requiem Mass tomorrow morning.
He will afterwards be buried, as he had wished, in the adjoining cemetery.
Meanwhile, gardaí who are continuing to investigate the circumstances which led to the deaths of the Dunne family declined to comment on claims by Donegal Fianna Fáil TD Dr Jim McDaid that the O'Brien family had raised concerns about Ciara's welfare with gardaí and the health services in Wexford.
It has emerged that the O'Brien family did not make any formal complaint.