Man shoots dead neighbour in Co. Mayo

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A lot of people here seem to have a very sympathetic view of this situation simply down to the man's age.

If this was a 24 year old at home alone, you'd all be out for his blood.

I understand he is more vulnerable, but he still should have the mental capacity to know what he is doing when firing a gun at a car parked up in the dark and if he doesn't have that capacity, the man shouldn't own a firearm.

What he done is wrong, he is in the wrong and somebody's father, son, brother is now in a morgue laced with holes, never to speak a word again because of what he has done.

Feisar

YFlyer wrote: »

Was it a rifle or shotgun?

Any money it's an old single barrel baikal (shotgun).

riemann

I've heard when dealing with characters of a certain cultural persuasion, the warning shots are fired after..

Given where this is, and one well publicised case several years ago, I would guess this is what might have occurred here.

Could have been a known problem in the area and when a concerned neighbour went to check on his mate there was an unfortunate case of mistaken identity.

LuasSimon

It doesn't matter if the man was 80 or 18 , if you are living on your own and theres a threat of 3 or 4 travelling burlars armed with knives or crowbars coming to beat or torture you for money plenty will shoot first and ask questions later, many in rural Ireland cant or wont take any more.

Portsalon

I wonder who called the guards.

If it was Shotgun Johnny himself then presumably he either didn't realise what he had done, or was calling for an ambulance.

LuasSimon

Portsalon wrote: »

The nearest Garda stations to this tragedy are Knock (2½ km) and Ballyhaunis (5 km). Literally light years away :rolleyes:

Both open an hour a day more than likely,

walshb

LuasSimon wrote: »

It doesn't matter if the man was 80 or 18 , if you are living on your own and theres a threat of 3 or 4 travelling burlars armed with knives or crowbars coming to beat or torture you for money plenty will shoot first and ask questions later, many in rural Ireland cant or wont take any more.

Eh, but what of the non criminal people that may happen to be in the vicinity of these premises? Just a case of wrong place at wrong time, and to hell with ya! We just have to put up with it, yeh?

GooglePlus

LuasSimon wrote: »

It doesn't matter if the man was 80 or 18 , if you are living on your own and theres a threat of 3 or 4 travelling burlars armed with knives or crowbars coming to beat or torture you for money plenty will shoot first and ask questions later, many in rural Ireland cant or wont take any more.

So should every man, woman and child in rural Ireland take up arms against every sillouette they see because a few people have been robbed?

qo2cj1dsne8y4k

jimgoose wrote: »

Well in fairness, firing at a car like that just because he saw headlights snooping around the road is the act of a lunatic.

I don’t believe it is. He’s in his 80s. He was in no position to wait for whoever it was to land in on top of him. It’s no secret that rural Ireland is being terrorized, and the guards are doing **** all about it.
We’ve no idea if that elderly man had a phone in his house, if he had anyone to call, if anyone even checks in on him or how many times he may have dealt with trespassers on his property before.

An old man that lives near me was broken into and robbed, nobody ever caught of course, two years ago, and he had a heart attack, he survived but went into a nursing home.


I’d question what someone was doing skulking around a (very elderly and clearly nervous) neighbors house at midnight? The man had obviously time to hear the car, get up, get the gun, go outside and fire it. I can’t imagine he moved very fast either given his vintage.

I feel so very sad for him today, and I hope he’s being well looked after and they’re being kind to him.

Portsalon

LuasSimon wrote: »

Both open an hour a day more than likely,

Hopefully.

This may challenge your comprehensive capabilities, but if a garda station is open then it must be manned. And every garda sitting on their arse in a small rural garda station is one garda less available to carry out patrols in the large area that they serve.

(It's one of the conundrums that the feeble minded (like Shane Ross's Stepaside constituents) face - would they rather have a manned garda station so they can more easily get their passport applications signed, or would they prefer to see more gardai available to carry out patrols!)

walshb

Leighton Acidic Bead wrote: »

I’d question what someone was doing skulking around a (very elderly and clearly nervous) neighbors house at midnight? The man had obviously time to hear the car, get up, get the gun, go outside and fire it. I can’t imagine he moved very fast either given his vintage.

I feel so very sad for him today, and I hope he’s being well looked after and they’re being kind to him.

Ye, and with all this he still ends up ending a man's life; a non intruder/danger.....

The elderly man seems to have decided, to hell with this. I am simply not taking a chance, and I am going to discharge a deadly weapon, a weapon that can kill.

That is put and out unacceptable in a democratic and civilized society.

qo2cj1dsne8y4k

walshb wrote: »

Ye, and with all this he still ends up ending a man's life; a non intruder/danger.....

The elderly man seems to have decided, to hell with this. I am simply not taking a chance, and I am going to discharge a deadly weapon, a weapon that can kill.

That is put and out unacceptable in a democratic and civilized society.

How do we know he was a non intruder? I am not on my neighbors property at midnight, and wouldn’t dream of actively alerting an old person of my presence outside their home at that hour knowing they were most likely terrified.

With all due respect anyone outside someone else’s property at that hour are most likely up to no good. So I don’t think he was acting with a complete disregard to the law. He was just trying to keep himself safe in a society where old people are not cared about or protected especially in rural Ireland.

Portsalon

GooglePlus wrote: »

So should every man, woman and child in rural Ireland take up arms against every sillouette they see because a few people have been robbed?

Roughly how many cars would drive down that long laneway in a very remote area of rural Co Mayo at around midnight on Tuesday nights, do you reckon?

Feel free to round your answer to the nearest hundred.

riffmongous

Leighton Acidic Bead wrote: »

I don’t believe it is. He’s in his 80s. He was in no position to wait for whoever it was to land in on top of him. It’s no secret that rural Ireland is being terrorized, and the guards are doing **** all about it.
We’ve no idea if that elderly man had a phone in his house, if he had anyone to call, if anyone even checks in on him or how many times he may have dealt with trespassers on his property before.

An old man that lives near me was broken into and robbed, nobody ever caught of course, two years ago, and he had a heart attack, he survived but went into a nursing home.


I’d question what someone was doing skulking around a (very elderly and clearly nervous) neighbors house at midnight? The man had obviously time to hear the car, get up, get the gun, go outside and fire it. I can’t imagine he moved very fast either given his vintage.

I feel so very sad for him today, and I hope he’s being well looked after and they’re being kind to him.

Maybe the dead man's family should call over and apologise?

walshb

Leighton Acidic Bead wrote: »

How do we know he was a non intruder? I am not on my neighbors property at midnight, and wouldn’t dream of actively alerting an old person of my presence outside their home at that hour knowing they were most likely terrified.

With all due respect anyone outside someone else’s property at that hour are most likely up to no good. So I don’t think he was acting with a complete disregard to the law. He was just trying to keep himself safe in a society where old people are not cared about or protected especially in rural Ireland.

Was he on the man's property? If so, why?

Was he not near the man's property? That's not a crime as far as I know...

And anyway, it still does not give anyone the right to kill, which is what this man did. Like I said, only self defence can really save him here, but I don't think it's that!

alchemist33

Leighton Acidic Bead wrote: »

I don’t believe it is. He’s in his 80s. He was in no position to wait for whoever it was to land in on top of him. It’s no secret that rural Ireland is being terrorized, and the guards are doing **** all about it.
We’ve no idea if that elderly man had a phone in his house, if he had anyone to call, if anyone even checks in on him or how many times he may have dealt with trespassers on his property before.

An old man that lives near me was broken into and robbed, nobody ever caught of course, two years ago, and he had a heart attack, he survived but went into a nursing home.


I’d question what someone was doing skulking around a (very elderly and clearly nervous) neighbors house at midnight? The man had obviously time to hear the car, get up, get the gun, go outside and fire it. I can’t imagine he moved very fast either given his vintage.

I feel so very sad for him today, and I hope he’s being well looked after and they’re being kind to him.

I feel a lot sadder for the dead man and his family tbh.

And how do you know the deceased was "skulking?" While we still don't know the full details of what happened, we know for sure a man was killed, with no evidence he was up to no good. Whatever this was, it wasn't the accident some people in the thread are portraying it as. Somebody holding a shotgun has a duty not to kill innocent people with it, and that's where the buck stops.

Portsalon

Kurtyoo wrote: »

He was parked at his perimeter wall.

His car was.

Was he in the car or had he exited?

qo2cj1dsne8y4k

walshb wrote: »

Was he on the man's property? If so, why?

Was he not near the man's property? That's not a crime as far as I know...

And anyway, it still does not give anyone the right to kill, which is what this man did. Like I said, only self defence can really save him here, but I don't think it's that!

Nobody has the right to kill but equally nobody should be putting vulnerable people in fear for their lives either. Nally was sleeping in his sheds because he wasn’t safe in his own house. When people have no faith in the law to protect them they take the law into their own hands. Had that man had any faith in the Gardais ability to respond to a call, no doubt he’d have called them. He survived 80 odd years without shooting anyone, safe to say I doubt he’s a mastermind sniper

RoryMac

jimgoose wrote: »

The photographs in this article. Also, lines like "It is believed there is a car at the scene which has evidence of gunshots on it.":

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/mayo-shooting-garda-investigating-if-elderly-man-thought-deceased-was-an-intruder-38509720.html

The car in that picture looks like it drove up onto the embankment at the side of the road, wonder if the guy was shot in the car causing it to crash.

jimgoose

Leighton Acidic Bead wrote: »

...I feel so very sad for him today, and I hope he’s being well looked after and they’re being kind to him.

I have a certain sympathy too S, but come one - he struck with lethal force out of the dark when, at best, unsure of what he was dealing with. You can't do that. And I'm still not sure the deceased was actually on the property when he was killed - the Gardai had a cover over a car that appeared to be on the public road in a photo in the Independent today.

walshb

Leighton Acidic Bead wrote: »

Nobody has the right to kill but equally nobody should be putting vulnerable people in fear for their lives either. Nally was sleeping in his sheds because he wasn’t safe in his own house. When people have no faith in the law to protect them they take the law into their own hands. Had that man had any faith in the Gardais ability to respond to a call, no doubt he’d have called them. He survived 80 odd years without shooting anyone, safe to say I doubt he’s a mastermind sniper

Yes, like I said, he decided to just take his chances. and to hell with the consequences...the ultimate consequence arose.....a man lost his life.

LuasSimon

Looks like there were a number of Burglaries in the area recently which has caused widespread fear, its the lowlifes who have driven law abiding people over the edge who have blood on their hands here and their apologists.

ollkiller

Leighton Acidic Bead wrote: »

I don’t believe it is. He’s in his 80s. He was in no position to wait for whoever it was to land in on top of him. It’s no secret that rural Ireland is being terrorized, and the guards are doing **** all about it.
We’ve no idea if that elderly man had a phone in his house, if he had anyone to call, if anyone even checks in on him or how many times he may have dealt with trespassers on his property before.

An old man that lives near me was broken into and robbed, nobody ever caught of course, two years ago, and he had a heart attack, he survived but went into a nursing home.


I’d question what someone was doing skulking around a (very elderly and clearly nervous) neighbors house at midnight? The man had obviously time to hear the car, get up, get the gun, go outside and fire it. I can’t imagine he moved very fast either given his vintage.

I feel so very sad for him today, and I hope he’s being well looked after and they’re being kind to him.

Look yes old people feel terrorized. I get that. I lived in rural Mayo for 35 years. I've had cars outside at all hours. I've even got up in the morning and some bloke who got lost whilst drunk was sleeping in our porch. You can't just rock out a shotgun though and start off loading.

If you think there are people outside trying to burgle you don't leave the house. Ring the guards and if they break in then go all Rambo all day long. Just don't leave the house.

GooglePlus

Portsalon wrote: »

Roughly how many cars would drive down that long laneway in a very remote area of rural Co Mayo at around midnight on Tuesday nights, do you reckon?

Feel free to round your answer to the nearest hundred.

I only know of one in this instance and it was the man's neighbour. So, these strange occurances obviously do happen.

From looking at the picture, the man wasn't even in his driveway but on a public road. Not even on his property and he's firing a gun at the car. You can't condone what he has done.

qo2cj1dsne8y4k

What use were the guards to all the other burglaries in the area? Or the countless old people unable to live alone after they were made unsafe in their own home

qo2cj1dsne8y4k

GooglePlus wrote: »

I only know of one in this instance and it was the man's neighbour. So, these strange occurances obviously do happen.

Actually apparently he wasn’t from the area, he was from the townsland over

Riskymove

meathstevie wrote: »

In all my years of owning my own firearms .....

you kind of make my point for me

my point is that comments on what happened are just speculation

I am not claiming any of these things happen!!

KaneToad

LuasSimon wrote: »

It shows the fear people are living under in Rural Ireland with all the robberies and burglaries, any noise at night time is met with fear ..

No garda Stations and roaming traveller gangs have Rural Ireland under siege not that Fine Gael Dublin care.

Fear is generated by posts like this. There is no rural crime epidemic in Ireland. There are occasional burglaries - and even fewer robberies. The threat to life from criminals in rural areas is virtually zero.

riffmongous

Leighton Acidic Bead wrote: »

Actually apparently he wasn’t from the area, he was from the townsland over

Ah come on, the next townsland is still the area

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts

Leighton Acidic Bead wrote: »

I don’t believe it is. He’s in his 80s. He was in no position to wait for whoever it was to land in on top of him. It’s no secret that rural Ireland is being terrorized, and the guards are doing **** all about it.
We’ve no idea if that elderly man had a phone in his house, if he had anyone to call, if anyone even checks in on him or how many times he may have dealt with trespassers on his property before.

An old man that lives near me was broken into and robbed, nobody ever caught of course, two years ago, and he had a heart attack, he survived but went into a nursing home.


I’d question what someone was doing skulking around a (very elderly and clearly nervous) neighbors house at midnight? The man had obviously time to hear the car, get up, get the gun, go outside and fire it. I can’t imagine he moved very fast either given his vintage.

I feel so very sad for him today, and I hope he’s being well looked after and they’re being kind to him.

There are countless reasons why somebody might pull in for a second on the side of a road. There are also reasons to be out and about late at night. Farmers can be out at all hours, for example. I don’t know if the victim was a farmer. I’m just giving a for instance. We also don’t know if the road was a cul de sac that a person would have no reason to be driving down. A person should be able to pull in for a second on a public road and not fear getting shot at.

I’m holding back on feeling sad for the shooter for now. Many 80 year olds have their full faculties and the infantilisation of this guy based on his age is strange. My sympathies lie more with the victim at this time.

ollkiller

splinter65 wrote: »

You haven’t a clue.

What are you on about lad. Do you live in a rural area. As i said i did for 35 years, and i do have a clue. Care to explain yourself?

jimgoose

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts wrote: »

...A person should be able to pull in for a second on a public road and not fear getting shot at...

As country people, I and many others I know, farmers included, would be rather shocked at the idea that you couldn't walk abroad when and where you liked without fear of getting shot at. We're not talking about South-Central L.A. There seems to be an undercurrent of a notion starting that this is some sort of occupational hazard of modern country life.

Beasty

I have just deleted a large number of posts.

Firstly someone is dead - whatever the circumstances this is not something to make fun of

None of us were there, and none of us are in a position to determine whether a crime was committed, and if so what that crime was, or indeed guilt or innocence of anyone involved - do not speculate on such matters

This is nothing to do with the Quinn incident

Some deleted were by the OP, a regular re-reg troll.

Any questions PM me - do not respond to this post in-thread

Thanks

Portsalon

GooglePlus wrote: »

From looking at the picture, the man wasn't even in his driveway but on a public road. Not even on his property and he's firing a gun at the car. You can't condone what he has done.

Congrats on your x-ray vision - I can see a car on the road, but being a mere mortal, am unable to see whether or not it is occupied.

Did it strike you that, if a number of "warning shots" were fired, it is not beyond the realms of possiblity that one or more of them might have struck the parked car?

The car was on the "public" road - you have absolutely no idea where the man was. I repeat, absolutely no idea.

walshb

I can't believe some of the posts about what was he doing out and about, and why was he near the man's property and on and on...

The man was shot to death because he happened to be close to another man's property. This seems to be the victim's only "crime." And he has lost his life for it, because another man, whether uneasy, scared or not, decided to discharge a deadly weapon and hope for the best...

Oh, and his age appears to be part of the whole sympathy angle...

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts

Portsalon wrote: »

Roughly how many cars would drive down that long laneway in a very remote area of rural Co Mayo at around midnight on Tuesday nights, do you reckon?

Feel free to round your answer to the nearest hundred.

Depends on if it’s a dead-end road or a through way. In my experience of growing up on a road that isn’t a dead end in a very rural, low population part of the west of Ireland, you could have up to five cars passing an hour at any time of the night. It’s not that quiet. People are greatly exaggerating on this thread. It’s not clear from the photos if this road is a dead-end. And whilst traffic would lighter on those roads, if there are other houses nearby, then there will still be a bit of traffic.

ollkiller

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts wrote: »

Depends on if it’s a dead-end road or a through way. In my experience of growing up on a road that isn’t a dead end in a very rural, low population part of the west of Ireland, you could have up to five cars passing an hour at any time of the night. It’s not that quiet. People are greatly exaggerating on this thread. It’s not clear from the photos if this road is a dead-end. And whilst traffic would lighter on those roads, if there are other houses nearby, then there will still be a bit of traffic.

Exactly. On rural roads it's pretty easy to take a wrong turn if you're not 100% sure where you're going, especially at night and end up at a dead end. You don't deserve to get shot for it.

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts

Leighton Acidic Bead wrote: »

Actually apparently he wasn’t from the area, he was from the townsland over

For the love of jaysus. The next townland over from my parents’ house is literally across the road. A five metre walk at most. If you’re from rural Ireland, you know full well that the neighbouring townland is the same area.

YFlyer

Feisar wrote: »

Any money it's an old single barrel baikal (shotgun).

I bet the shooting was close range.

GooglePlus

Portsalon wrote: »

Congrats on your x-ray vision - I can see a car on the road, but being a mere mortal, am unable to see whether or not it is occupied.

Did it strike you that, if a number of "warning shots" were fired, it is not beyond the realms of possiblity that one or more of them might have struck the parked car?

The car was on the "public" road - you have absolutely no idea where the man was. I repeat, absolutely no idea.

Look, you're just grasping for anything now to suit your narrative on this, which is fine.

We'll know all soon enough.

jimgoose

Have a look at this photograph of the scene from d'Examiner - I won't embed the photo, but it looks to me like the car nosed into the ditch after the driver was suddenly incapacitated, and from what I can tell the range involved wouldn't be beyond a standard 12-gauge:

https://www.irishexaminer.com/remote/media.central.ie/media/images/m/MayoShootingSept2019CredKeithHeneghan_large.jpg?width=648&s=ie-951457

PatsyJ

LuasSimon wrote: »

Fine Gael Dublin.

Do you not have Fine Gael outside of Dublin then? I'm not a fan of them myself but it's not just Dublin who elects them.

Hoboo

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts wrote: »

For the love of jaysus. The next townland over from my parents’ house is literally across the road. A five metre walk at most. If you’re from rural Ireland, you know full well that the neighbouring townland is the same area.

Spot on, my address can be two different townlands, the road outside splits them. And if I go 200m up the road it's another one.

jimgoose

Hoboo wrote: »

Spot on, my address can be two different townlands, the road outside splits them. And if I go 200m up the road it's another one.

Of course, it happens all the time - Woman's land is in two different townlands.

Donnielighto

LuasSimon wrote: »

It shows the fear people are living under in Rural Ireland with all the robberies and burglaries, any noise at night time is met with fear ..

No garda Stations and roaming traveller gangs have Rural Ireland under siege not that Fine Gael Dublin care.

Cheap shots and racism, well done.

handlemaster

Donnielighto wrote: »

Cheap shots and racism, well done.

the racist card

Granadino

Donnielighto wrote: »

Cheap shots and racism, well done.

Racism? It is a fact that some of the roaming criminal gangs are made up of members of the travelling community.

punisher5112

Can't be racist of we are all one race as in we are all human beings.

grogi

GooglePlus wrote: »

He should be locked up so, simple as.

Regardless of the fact that he may have thought it was an intruder, you don't go firing "warning shots" about like you're in a western.

Should be found guilty of man slaughter. There should be no jail time.

Danzy

Donnielighto wrote: »

Cheap shots and racism, well done.

Your lordship needs to come down from the pulpit.