Tributes have flooded in for the two brothers found dead in their father’s car on Monday, as their mother
attempts to come to terms with the devastation of their death.
Kathleen Chada is being comforted by family and friends at the family home in Bagenalstown, Co Carlow, that she shared with her sons Eoghan Chada, 10 and Ruairi, 5, and her husband, Sanjeev.
Fr Declan Foley, the parish priest, was with Ms Chada and her relatives when they learned of the children's deaths, the Irish Mirror reports.
"It was like as if an earthquake hit the place. It was devastating for all of us. You cannot put into words the shock and the pain and the numbness and the grief of that news coming through that her two boys had died," he said.
Fr Declan Foley added: “Eoghan and Ruairi. Her pride and joy – two lovely little lads who went to the local primary school in Ballinkillen,”
A police investigation was launched after the schoolboys’ bodies were found locked in the trunk of the family car their dad crashed outside Westport, Co Mayo on Monday afternoon. Chada suffered minor injuries – believed to be cuts and bruises.
Police believe the boys were strangled before the car crash
Police hope that Sanjeev Chada, 43, will soon be discharged from Mayo General Hospital in Castlebar hospital and can be interviewed immediately about the deaths of his two sons.
It has emerged that Chada was being investigated over the disappearance of 50,000 euro from a local community centre at the time.
Fr Foley remembered the two sports mad boys who played Gaelic football, hurling and soccer with local clubs.
“They were two very nice and popular young boys. They played hurling and football for the local GAA club and they also played soccer. They were very good at sport.”
On Tuesday the principal of Ballinkillen National School in Co Carlow, Michelle Doorley remembered the boys “great sense of fun”.
“Ruairi was like Eoghan’s shadow. They did everything together. They took part in everything. If we needed volunteers, they were the first to sign up,” she told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland.
“They had a great sense of humour. They were very popular with all their classmates, both boys and girls.
“They were two super boys. They had the whole package. They were pleasant to deal with, had lovely manners, they were great team workers with a good sense of humour. They will be missed by everybody.”
Chada, an IT consultant set off on Sunday evening with his two boys to go bowling at the Dome Bowling Centre in Carlow. The trio left in his green Ford Focus registered number 06 Cw 238 at 5.30pm on Sunday.
Kathleen, a nurse at a fertility clinic in Dublin, became concerned when her family didn’t return home later that evening. She contacted police at 1.30am on Monday morning to report all three missing.
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