THE nephews of Mr Patrick Daly (69), whose body was discovered in a 20-foot well near his remote Co Kerry farmhouse on Tuesday last, spoke yesterday about their uncle's quiet and retiring lifestyle.
Mr Daly was last seen alive a week ago today when be visited the post office in his native Kilcummin, four miles from Killarney. He was wearing a green wax jacket, a cap and wellington boots.
Mr James Daly (29) who worked the 105 acre farm owned by his uncle, together with his brother, Eugene (21), and his father, Sean (71), said that the dead man had no enemies.
"He had no troubles because if he did, he would have told us. The family had nothing whatsoever to do with this we're totally out of it. We gave the gardai every possible assistance and in fact we were the ones who called them in when he went missing.
"Paddy was in good spirits and we all got on very well together. We worked well together as a team. He had nothing on his mind and there was nothing worrying him before he disappeared. I have no idea why anybody would do it. There was no reason why anyone would want to hurt him. It's unbelievable," Mr Daly said.
He added that his uncle had been treated for a psychiatric complaint in Tralee last summer but said that there seemed to be little question of suicide given that the body was covered with a large quantity of plastic sheeting when it was discovered in the well adjoining his home at 3.30 p.m. on Tuesday last.
He went on "He used to get depressed but he would come out of it again. You couldn't account for putting all that stuff [plastic] down the well. We didn't miss the plastic on the farm because its scattered all over the place.
"We always saw eye to eye and got on very well. We were shocked when the body was discovered and we still are. Paddy would go to the pub for a drink sometimes but he wasn't really a drinking man. I suppose you could say that he didn't have too many interests.
"He was very easygoing and hard working. The farm was in his name, he was the owner but it would probably have passed on to me as the eldest nephew.
"We all felt dreadful when we found out about this it was a desperate shock. My mother, Mrs Mary Daly, and my father are very upset but they are trying to get to grips with it.
Mr Daly's brother, Eugene, said that he cried when asked by gardai if he had put the plastic sheeting in the well. "I started crying and said that I wouldn't be here if I had done it. It's ridiculous. Why would we do it? Its bizarre and macabre nothing like this ever happened before in the area. Still, we have to try to keep going. We're bearing up as well as we can but I hope nobody gets the idea that we had anything to do with it."
A life long neighbour of the deceased, Mr Jack Finnegan (80), said that Mr Daly was a powerfully built six footer who once lifted a tractor from the rear with his bare hands. "It was in a dyke and we had gone away to get lifting gear. When we came back, he had the job done. He had fierce strength. He was a good ploughman, an honest type of man and a very hard worker.
"I knew him all my life. The Saturday before be died he was in with me watching the Pat Kenny Show on television. I'd pass him maybe 20 times a day. It's a terrible shock we don't expect this type of thing around here. This is a quiet place.
Mrs Rena Healy, the Kilcummin post mistress, said that Mr Daly would call to his shop every second day. "He was a quiet man, who kept to himself although he would talk to people when he came"
A murder hunt has begun in Kerry following a post mortem examination on Mr Patrick Daly (69), whose body was found in a deep well near his home.
Following an examination by the assistant State Pathologist, Dr Margaret Bolster, it has now been established that Mr Daly was murdered and died of massive head injuries.