Kanturk tragedy: Mother who lost husband and two sons to murder-double suicide, dies after long battle with illness

A MOTHER who lost her husband and two sons to an horrific murder-double suicide six months ago has died after a long battle against illness.

Anne O'Sullivan (61) was already battling a long-term health condition when her husband, Tadg (59) and youngest son, Diarmuid (23), fatally confronted her eldest son, Mark (25), after a dispute over a €2m Cork farm inheritance tragically escalated.

It is understood from local sources she died in the early hours of this morning after being cared for in a hospice over recent times.

The mother of two turned 61 just last week.

North Cork sources said she had been very ill over recent weeks.

On October 26, Tadg and Diarmuid confronted Mark in the bedroom of the family home at Assolas outside Kanturk in north Cork and shot him multiple times.

Anne, who was also in the farmhouse, was left unharmed by her husband and youngest son though they took her mobile phone - forcing her to run to a neighbour's house to raise the alarm.

Mark was later found dead in his bedroom by Gardaí.

The bodies of his father and younger brother were located by Gardai some 600 metres from the farmhouse off the Castlemagner-Kanturk road.

Both had sustained a single fatal gunshot injury and were found at a field known as 'The Fort', adjacent to an old fairy fort.

Two rifles were found nearby.

Three legally held firearms in total were recovered by Gardai from both scenes - two rifles and a shotgun.

The triple tragedy was sparked by a bitter dispute over a family will which apparently would have seen Mark inherit a substantial local farm holding of more than 140 acres.

In contrast, his younger brother apparently felt he was excluded from any significant inheritance - and was supported by his father.

Attempts to resolve the dispute failed and Mark was confronted by his father and younger brother amid mounting tensions over the impasse.

Documentation in respect of the dispute was found near the bodies of Tadg and Diarmuid - and legal letters were found by Gardaí at the property itself.

Mrs O'Sullivan had only returned to the Assolas farmhouse some 36 hours before the tragedy having travelled to a medical appointment in Dublin with her eldest son.

The mother of two - who worked for years as a nurse at Mt Alvernia Hospital outside Mallow - attended both the Requiem Mass of Tadg and Diarmuid and later the Requiem Mass of her son, Mark.

Mark, a trainee solicitor, was hailed as "the greatest son a mother could have."

His Requiem Mass heard that "the bond between them (Anne and Mark) was unbreakable."

"Mark had such a big heart and so much love to give...I can't imagine how much effort and love he put into being Anne's son," his best friend Sharmilla said.

No funeral arrangements have been confirmed.

Online Editors