Mourners at the funeral of Christy Hanley in Kilbeggan have been told that the Co Westmeath community will not be safe until his killer or killers have been found.
Christy Hanley
Mr Hanley (83) was found dead in his home last Thursday after a suspected robbery. A postmortem confirmed he had been assaulted and that this had contributed to his death.
At his requiem funeral mass today Fr Barney Maxwell said that life in the area had changed “radically” since the pensioner’s brutal death.
“It not natural in this area to have such brutality,” he told several hundred mourners during today’s service. “The community is not safe and Christy deserves that we find those who brutally brought about his death”.
Mr Hanley’s body lay in an open coffin throughout today’s funeral mass.
Gardai today renewed an appeal for help in finding his killer or killers. Superintendent Aidan Glacken said that hundreds or lines of inquiry are being followed.
He told a news conference today that detectives were anxious to speak to a man who had been seen in Mr Hanley’s company on several occasions last Wednesday.
He was aged between 30 and 40 years and was wearing a navy tracksuit top, light blue jeans, a navy cap with a white peek and was carrying a navy rucksack.
Supt Glacken also renewed an appeal for the person who telephoned a Garda station prior to the discovery of Mr Hanley's body to contact them.
He said last week that this person appeared to “have some intimate knowledge of what happened to Christy Hanley”. He said the person could either speak in person or through a third party to gardaí in strict confidence.
Anybody with information that may assist gardaí in the case is asked to contact Athlone Garda station on 090-6498550.