A man and woman found dead in their homes in Co Wicklow lost their two children in a fire that killed four people in Dublin almost 10 years ago.
The deceased woman was also trapped in the blaze and, though she survived, she suffered life changing injuries in the fire that claimed the lives of her young children.
The remains of the man (30s) and woman (40s) were found on Wednesday morning at their home on Old Connaught Avenue in north Bray.
The deceased woman, who grew up in Bray, suffered extensive burns in the fire almost a decade ago and was in intensive care for a prolonged period.
She missed the funerals of her two children, and for two other family members who died in the fire. She only learned her children died about six weeks after the incident.
She was also close to the Lynch and Gilbert families in Fassaroe, Bray, who lost 10 loved ones in the fire at a Traveller site in Carrickmines, Dublin, in October 2015.
Gardaí believe violence was factor in the events that brought about the deaths of the man and woman in the Bray house. They have yet to find evidence anyone else was present or that there was third party involvement in the deaths. Sources stressed, however, the inquiry was at a very early stage.
The Irish Times understands the remains of the man were found outside the house, and that he had visible injuries, while the woman was found in an upstairs bedroom.
Sources said the results of the postmortems, and the forensic examination at the house, would determine how they died and would dictate the direction of the investigation. The resources of a homicide inquiry have been committed to the case.
In a statement, An Garda Síochána said the remains of the man and woman were discovered at the property just after 8am and that both were pronounced dead at the scene.
“The scene has been preserved for examination by the Garda Technical Bureau. The local coroner and the Office of the State Pathologist have been notified and post-mortem examinations will be arranged,” the statement added.
“A senior investigating officer has been appointed and an incident room has been established at Dun Laoghaire Garda Station.
“The outcome of the post-mortems will assist gardaí in determining the course of the investigation.”
The man whose remains were found outside the house in Bray had developed a drugs habit, which a court was told was a result of the trauma he had endure after losing his children.
He was later pressured by a drugs gang, after he ran up a drug debt, to store drugs at his home. When it was raided three years ago, cocaine and cannabis valued at almost €200,000 were discovered.
The man was arrested and made admissions, telling gardaí he took responsibility for the drugs, which he said he had agreed to store to reduce a debt of several thousand euro.
When that case reached the court, the judge was told the man had turned to drugs, developing a cocaine habit, after the deaths of his children, but he had been clean for almost a year by the time of his sentencing hearing.
While a sentence of four and a half years was imposed, the final three years were suspended due to the exceptional background and circumstances of the man’s life.
The judge was told that, but for a very small number of minor convictions, the man was a law-abiding citizen before getting drawn into drugs after the death of his children had a profound impact on him.
Residents of the Cois Cairn housing estate were reluctant to speak on Wednesday morning as gardaí erected a blue scene tent and screen in front of one of the semidetached bungalows.
Numerous gardaí were in attendance. Some neighbours stood in their doorways or in small groups outside their houses.
At about 12.30pm members of the Garda technical team arrived at the scene, followed by members of the Garda Divisional Crime squad.
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