4 Aug 2025TRANSCRIPT
Bonus - Tom & Kitty Fitzgerald
This episode was originally published asa Patreon exclusive on 12 Jan 2020.
In 2016, shocking news broke that an elderly couple were found dead in their own home in rural Co Mayo, and a younger man was found there too - badly injured. Over the following days, while family friends and the community in Irishtown grappled with the tragic news, it became clear that something very sinister had occurred in the small farmhouse.
And for reasons - that to this day - have yet to come to light.
Music:
Kevin McLeod, Quinns Song : The Dance Begins. (incompetech.com (http://incompetech.com/))
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/)
Sources:
Ryan Nugent, “Village in shock over tragedy involving 'saint like' pair who were the perfect match” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/village-in-shock-over-tragedy-involving-saintlike-pair-who-were-the-perfect-match-35184599.html (https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/village-in-shock-over-tragedy-involving-saintlike-pair-who-were-the-perfect-match-35184599.html) (3 November 2016)
Ryan Nugent, “Death in rural Mayo: murder and suicide suspected in deaths of elderly couple” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/deaths-in-rural-mayo-murder-and-suicide-suspected-in-deaths-of-elderly-couple-35184593.html (https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/deaths-in-rural-mayo-murder-and-suicide-suspected-in-deaths-of-elderly-couple-35184593.html) (3 November 2016)
Ryan Nugent, “Neighbours in quiet rural area left stunned by couple's death” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/neighbours-in-quiet-rural-area-left-stunned-by-couples-deaths-35190063.html (https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/neighbours-in-quiet-rural-area-left-stunned-by-couples-deaths-35190063.html) (5 November 2016)
Meave Sheehan, “Mayo father suspected of killing wife, attacking son – then taking own life” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/mayo-father-suspected-of-killing-wife-attacking-son-then-taking-own-life-35191796.html (https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/mayo-father-suspected-of-killing-wife-attacking-son-then-taking-own-life-35191796.html) (6 November 2016)
Robin Schiller, “Tragic Mayo couple will be buried together” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/tragic-mayo-couple-will-be-buried-together-35193648.html (https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/tragic-mayo-couple-will-be-buried-together-35193648.html) (7 November 2016)
Greg Harkin, “'A silence has fallen across this parish' – Priest tells of 'shattered community' at double funeral of Tom and Kitty Fitzgerald” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/a-silence-has-fallen-across-this-parish-priest-tells-of-shattered-community-at-double-funeral-of-tom-and-kitty-fitzgerald-35194737.html (https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/a-silence-has-fallen-across-this-parish-priest-tells-of-shattered-community-at-double-funeral-of-tom-and-kitty-fitzgerald-35194737.html) (7 November 2016)
Greg Harkin, “Community mourns as couple who died in murder-suicide laid to rest together” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/community-mourns-as-couple-who-died-in-murdersuicide-laid-to-rest-together-35196930.html (https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/community-mourns-as-couple-who-died-in-murdersuicide-laid-to-rest-together-35196930.html) (8 November 2016)
Tom Shiel, “Man killed wife then took his own life, inquest told” in The Irish Times (21 November 2017) p. 4.
Tom Shiel, “Couple's deaths left community 'like orphans looking for a hand to hold' priest tells funeral” in The Irish Times (8 November 2016) p. 8.
Tom Shiel, “Bodies of two pensioners found in Mayo” in The Irish Times (2 November 2016) p. 4.
Tom Shiel, “Mayo couple's deaths a murder-suicide” in The Irish Times (3 November 2016) p. 1.
Anton McNulty, “Horrific Evidence heard at murder/suicide inquest” in The Mayo News http://www.mayonews.ie/news/31158-horrific-evidence-heard-at-murder-suicide-inquest (http://www.mayonews.ie/news/31158-horrific-evidence-heard-at-murder-suicide-inquest) (21 November 2017)
Darragh McDonagh, “Verdict of murder-suicide recorded at inquest into deaths of Tom and Kitty Fitzgerald (72)” in TheJournal.ie https://www.thejournal.ie/murder-suicide-mayo-fitzgerald-3707726-Nov2017/ (https://www.thejournal.ie/murder-suicide-mayo-fitzgerald-3707726-Nov2017/) (20 November 2017)
Caroline Crawford, “Son has no memory of what happened the day his parents died in murder-suicide, inquest hears” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/son-has-no-memory-of-what-happened-the-day-his-parents-died-in-murdersuicide-inquest-hears-36336486.html (https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/son-has-no-memory-of-what-happened-the-day-his-parents-died-in-murdersuicide-inquest-hears-36336486.html) (20 November 2017)
Emma Lake, “OAP found battered to death next to husband who was dead in water trough surrounded by poison next to badly injured man” in The Sun https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/2098419/oap-found-battered-to-death-next-to-husband-who-was-dead-in-water-trough-surrounded-by-poison-next-to-badly-injured-man/ (https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/2098419/oap-found-battered-to-death-next-to-husband-who-was-dead-in-water-trough-surrounded-by-poison-next-to-badly-injured-man/) (2 November 2016)
Ryan Nugent, “Answers to grisly deaths of couple lie within the home” in The Evening Herald https://www.herald.ie/news/answers-to-grisly-deaths-of-couple-lie-within-the-home-35184129.html (https://www.herald.ie/news/answers-to-grisly-deaths-of-couple-lie-within-the-home-35184129.html) (3 November 2016)
James Ward and Tom Shiel, “Heartfelt tributes paid to elderly couple found 'beaten to death' in Mayo home” in The Irish Mirror https://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/heartfelt-tributes-paid-elderly-couple-9176939 (https://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/heartfelt-tributes-paid-elderly-couple-9176939) (1 November 2016)
Trevor Quinn, “'God's own way is not our way': brother of Tom Fitzgerald pays tribute to slain Mayo man” in The Irish Mirror https://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/gods-way-not-way-brother-9180453 (https://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/gods-way-not-way-brother-9180453) (2 November 2016)
“Homicide verdicts at inquest into deaths of Mayo couple” in The Connaught Telegraph https://www.con-telegraph.ie/news/roundup/articles/2017/11/20/4148750-homicide-verdicts-at-inquests-into-deaths-of-mayo-couple/ (https://www.con-telegraph.ie/news/roundup/articles/2017/11/20/4148750-homicide-verdicts-at-inquests-into-deaths-of-mayo-couple/) (20 November 2017)
Cianan Brennan, “'A silence fell across this parish' – funeral takes place of pensioners found dead at home” in TheJournal.ie https://www.thejournal.ie/tom-kitty-fitzgerald-funeral-3068005-Nov2016/ (https://www.thejournal.ie/tom-kitty-fitzgerald-funeral-3068005-Nov2016/) (7 November 2016)
Sinead O'Carroll and Cianan Brennan, “Married couple found dead in house on Galway/Mayo border” in TheJournal.ie https://www.thejournal.ie/irishtown-mayo-bodies-3057574-Nov2016/ (https://www.thejournal.ie/irishtown-mayo-bodies-3057574-Nov2016/) (1 November 2016)
Tom Sheil, “Murder-suicide verdict returned in Mayo inquest” in The Irish Times https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/coroner-s-court/murder-suicide-verdict-returned-in-mayo-inquest-1.3298900 (https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/coroner-s-court/murder-suicide-verdict-returned-in-mayo-inquest-1.3298900) (20 November 2016)
