Rescue services searching for the body of Stephen Byrne have recovered clothing belonging to him. Gardai believe he drove off Duncannon pier, Co Wexford, last week, drowning himself and his two sons. Gardai in Kilkenny investigating the killing of his wife, Maeve, will conclude their investigation after a file has been completed for the coroner. Mrs Byrne was discovered stabbed to death in the family's Cuffesgrange home last Wednesday after concerned relatives asked gardai to enter the house. Family members were last seen on Monday.
Mr Byrne's tracksuit bottoms were found yesterday close to the spot on Boyce's Bay beach where the body of his son Alan (10) was found on Friday. A form of identification in the pocket confirmed the clothing was Mr Byrne's. On Saturday a single running shoe, also believed to have belonged to Mr Byrne, was found in Dollar Bay. A child's running shoe, which might have belonged to one of the boys, was found yesterday.
The discovery of the body of Shane Byrne (6) on Friday morning by a local woman walking on Duncannon strand was the first indication of the unfolding tragedy in the Co Wexford village. The family's Ford Escort was lifted from waters off the end of the pier later that evening. Gardai have confirmed the car was in gear and the keys were in the ignition. They believe Mr Byrne was in the car when it entered the water some time late on Monday or in the early hours of Tuesday morning. All the doors were locked and the lights were on when it hit the water. However, senior gardai have stressed that they cannot say with "absolute certainty" that Mr Byrne is dead until his body has been located.
Supt Tom Saunderson of New Ross Garda station said up to 60 personnel were involved in yesterday's search in windy conditions. These included members of the Garda Water Support and Air Support units, the Air Corps, Civil Defence and the Irish Marine Emergency Services. "We are still concentrating on the coastline from the pier to Hook Head but the search has widened to take in the Waterford estuary. Based on previous experience in this area, bodies usually turn up, but if they do not come to shore in the first few days it may be a wait of around nine days," Supt Saunderson said.
Sgt Tom Lavery of the Garda Water Unit said the diving was terminated yesterday evening and the search will continue on the surface.
"There is a massive current off the end of the pier and the general consensus now is that the bodies were washed from the car. We believe the third body will most likely surface as the others did," he added. Chief Supt Sean O'Halloran of the Waterford Kilkenny division said the investigation into Mrs Byrne's death was proceeding but he confirmed no one else was being sought for the killing. "The team will put together a file on the incident for the purpose of the inquests," he said.
The bodies of the two boys remained in Waterford Regional Hospital last night as family members waited to see if Mr Byrne's body would be recovered before making funeral arrangements. The funerals are expected to be held later this week in St Patrick's Church in Kilkenny city, where their mother's funeral was held on Friday shortly after their bodies were recovered.