Firearms dealer, 83, was found dead with gunshot wound to the chest area
Man in 60s quizzed by gardaí in relation to incident
A MAN in his 60s was last night being questioned by gardaí in connection to the murder of an 83-year-old firearms dealer.
Former soldier Paddy O’Mahony Sr was found dead at his home in Castlemaine, Co. Kerry, on Sunday morning after a man, known to him, called to the premises.
It was initially thought he had died as a result of an accident.
However, an inspection of his body indicated that the elderly man had suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the chest.
Mr O’Mahony, who helped run An Riocht Rifle and Pistol Club, was a well-known firearms enthusiast and registered dealer in Castlemaine. He had lived alone in the two-storey house for several months following the death of his wife, Lillie, in November.
It’s understood a man who had travelled to Mr O’Mahony’s home to use the gun range called 999 saying he had found him lying on the floor. A source told the Irish Daily Mail the pair had been socialising the night before.
Mr O’Mahoney was taken to University
‘The parish is very shocked about this’
Hospital Kerry where assistant State pathologist Dr Margot Bolster carried out a postmortem examination.
A man in his 60s was arrested yesterday in relation to the incident. He was last night being detained at a Garda station in Co. Kerry under section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act, 2007.
Gardaí carried out a full search of Mr O’Mahony’s property as part of their inquiries and noted numerous registered firearms locked in safes.
It’s understood that every weapon was accounted for.
Locals in the tight-knit village are said to be ‘deeply shocked and saddened’ over the incident.
Parish moderator Fr Danny Broderick, who performed the Last Rites on Mr O’Mahony, told the Mail: ‘I called to the house, but by the time I arrived he had already passed.
‘I said a few prayers and [anointed] him with Holy Water, and it was only later in the day that we found out the scale of the tragedy. It’s reassuring to know that Paddy will be given peace and happiness forever, while we also think about his family, close friends and neighbours.
‘The parish is very shocked by what happened and we’ll say a Mass for him when his body is released. We can only hope that God will give the family some strength and consolation at this difficult time.’
Fianna Fáil councillor Michael O’Shea, who knew the victim, described Mr O’Mahony as an ‘extremely respected’ man in his hometown of Castlemaine.
‘He was a very active member of the community and still involved in the rifle range he helped to set up,’ he said.
‘We’ll do our best to support his family and help them get through this awful time. It’s also important to allow gardaí carry out their investigation because the circumstances into what happened are still unclear.’
The deceased’s house, about 5km outside Castlemaine, remained sealed off last night as gardaí continued their investigation into the shooting.
In 2010, Mr O’Mahony and his son Patrick were granted permission by the District Court to keep six semi-automatic guns in their personal possession even though gardaí deemed them too powerful for civilian use.
The court heard Mr O’Mahony
Sr was the owner of a .22 Colt Pistol; .45 Colt Revolver; .45 Colt 1911 Gold Cup Pistol and a 762 Mauser Pistol, dating back to 1876 and similar to that used by Éamon de Valera.
A founding member of An Riocht Gun Club, which currently has around 100 members, Mr O’Mahony Sr said that he built a shooting range with highly restricted access and sufficient security measures in place, including an underground concrete bunker.
‘We’ll do our best to support family’