The Hawe family’s home remained sealed off yesterday as the Garda Technical Bureau continued its examination of the property where the five family members were found dead on Monday.
The house at Barconey Heights, Ballyjamesduff, Co Cavan, was expected to remain a crime scene for some days.
The Garda team is set to comb it and the surrounding garden and lands for any evidence that would help shed light on the motive for the murder-suicide.
Garda sources said all cases in which a murderer took their own life, thus negating the need for a criminal inquiry, were thoroughly probed to inform the inquest process.
However, the sources said there was “real anxiety” locally about a motive for Mr Hawe’s actions being established.
“Many of the families caught up in these cases down the years have been respected people and well-liked but, in most cases, you can pinpoint some kind of strife or mental health issue,” said one Garda source.
“And when there is something in the background, people at least feel they know what happened; there is some kind of explanation.
Explanations sought
“But this case is not like that, as far as we can see this was not a family with any mental health issue or one that gave any indication of distress.”
“This is something that has come as a major shock to people locally and there will be pressure to find answers,” said another Garda source.
The blinds of Castlerahan National School were pulled down yesterday and there were none of the signs of a normal school day.
Alan Hawe was deputy principal at the school while his sons Niall (11) and Ryan (6) were pupils, and Liam (13) was a former pupil.
A mother whose child attends the school said they were "lovely young fellas" and " Mr Hawe was a great teacher and very well liked by parents and kids".
A woman who said she knew the family to see said they were “lovely people”.
In the local church, an elderly woman lit a candle, blessed herself and said she was lighting candles in memory of the family.
