The man alleged to have killed his six-year-old daughter before turning it on himself was acting out of love, according the priest at his funeral mass today.
Mr Chris Crowley was found dead, along with his daughter, Deirdre, at a house they were renting in Clonmel, Co Tipperary, last Thursday. A firearm was discovered by their dead bodies.
"Chris did what he did out of a tremendous love, some might say an excessive love," Fr Michael Riordan told the congregation at The Way of the Cross Church, in Togher, Cork.
Deirdre’s mother, Ms Christine O’Sullivan, was in attendance to hear Angela Crowley, Mr Crowley’s sister-in-law, express her condolences to Ms O’Sullivan. "The Crowley family extend once again our sincere condolences to Christine and her family on their terrible loss. No words can express our grief for both Chris and Deirdre," she said.
Deirdre was abducted by her father from her home where she lived with MS O’Sullivan nearly two years ago.
Fr Riordan noted the love expressed by Ms O'Sullivan by "leaving no stone unturned" since her daughter was snatched following a weekend visit to her father in December 1999.
Deirdre was buried in Kishkeam cemetery, Co Cork, on Sunday, after a funeral mass in Ballydesmond.
Additional reporting PA