Gardaí suspect father strangled young daughter to death before taking his own life in horrific murder-suicide

Gardaí suspect that the tragic young child was strangled, and that the father subsequently took his own life

Gardaí suspect that a father strangled his six year old daughter to death – before taking his own life in a horrific murder suicide.

Officers are set to launch a murder investigation after the horrified mother of the child discovered her and the father dead in the home at Heathfield Terrace in Cappoge near Finglas, Co Dublin on Saturday night.

The father, who was in his 30s and worked as a bus driver, was found by the stairs of the home while his daughter was discovered in her bedroom. Locals have told how they heard the mother let out a horrific scream and called for Dublin Fire Brigade, ambulance crews and Gardaí who rushed to the scene at around 8pm.

Gardaí suspect that the tragic young child was strangled, and that the father subsequently took his own life. They do not believe there was any break-in or third party involvement. It is feared the Dad and daughter lay dead for several hours before the mother of the child arrived home and made the grim discovery.

The bodies were removed from the home at around midday on Sunday – and were taken for a post-mortem examination, which will determine the course of the investigation. The tragedy unfolded in a quiet estate and right opposite a children’s playground, which is located on a green area opposite the family home. Locals told this paper how the young child and her father were often seen in that playground – and of their shock that this tragedy had occurred.

One local told how a neighbour heard the mother’s scream. “She came out to a horrible scream. It was the mother. She’d just come home from work and found them,” they said.

Other neighbours spoke of the pain at having to tell their children – many of whom played with the little girl in the playground, what had happened.

“It’s very hard. Like we don’t know what to be telling our children. It’s just horrific,” one local woman said. “Word filtered through but I kind of don’t think the gravity of it hit until the searches and all were going on this morning,” they added.

“It’s just the kids now that we are trying to protect from it. My two girls are the same age as that little one. So it’s shocking. They would know her to see her in the playground. We’d always say hello to the family. My girls thought there was a movie being recorded this morning because of the cameras so I just said yeah that’s right.”

Another neighbour added: “It’s very sad. You don’t know what you’re going to do. We’ve a lot of kids as you can see there in the playground. It’s really sad. Such a quiet neighbourhood up here. You don’t hear a dickie bird up here.

“They’re such a quiet family. People have their thoughts on it. I have my own but no matter what it’s a tragedy.They’re a lovely very quiet family and kept to themselves. Just one child between the two of them.”

Another woman described how she saw a fire brigade truck coming into the estate at speed – and immediately she knew something was wrong. “I was up in my room and I saw the fire truck came in. I knew by the way they ran out that it was something serious.”

“There were four ambulances, two fire vans, the engine and then the guards. I knew once the ambulances were leaving I thought oh this is not good, they’re not bringing anyone out. But I still wouldn’t have imagined anything like that.”

Locals described how the father of the child was often seen with her on the street – and how the grandmother had just left the home days before the tragedy – after staying with the family all summer.

“He (the father) spent all summer teaching her to go on her bike without stabilisers.

“You’d see him in the middle of the road holding traffic and you’re like: ‘Get off the road.’ The grandmother was there all summer. She has been all summer. You would always see her going up and down the road with the little girl,” a neighbour said.

Gardaí have opened up an incident room and are awaiting the results of a post mortem before determining the next course of the investigation. However officers are braced for a murder investigation in this tragic case.

On Saturday night Gardaí said they are “investigating all the circumstances surrounding” the discovery of the two bodies.

In a statement, a garda spokesperson said: “Gardaí are investigating all the circumstances surrounding the discovery of two bodies at a domestic residence in Finglas, Dublin, on Saturday, 27 September, 2025.

“Gardaí and emergency services were called to the residence in the Cappagh area shortly before 8pm. The location has been preserved for forensic examination by the Garda Technical Bureau.

“The Coroner has been notified and the services of the Office of the State Pathologist have been requested. No further information is available at this time.”

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