A JOINT funeral service will be held for murder-suicide couple Joe and Claire Collins who had just become grandparents.
The Irish Sun told how tragic Claire, 51, was killed by her husband Joe, 54, who then took his own life at their Co Clare home.
Cycling fanatic Joe - a butcher by trade - was found outside the property in the Burren village of Kilnaboy, while his wife was discovered inside the bungalow.
Post mortems have been completed on their bodies following the murder-suicide, which has left the Clare community reeling.
The Irish Sun understands the couple, who had two daughters, had recently become grandparents.
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A wedding photo of Joe and Claire was released as funeral details were revealed.
The couple will repose in St Brigid’s Church, Corofin, tomorrow from 5pm with prayers at 7.30pm.
Their requiem mass is at 11.00am Monday followed by a cremation service at Shannon Crematorium at 2pm.
A death notice said: “The death has occurred, unexpectedly, of Joe and Claire Collins, Crossard, Kilnaboy.
“They will be sadly missed by their loving daughters Sara and Tara, Sara’s partner Michael and their cherished grandson Rian.
“Also by the Meere and Collins families. Claire’s parents Angela and Pat and her brothers Paul and Ronnie. Joe’s mother Kathleen, brothers Michael, Pat, Brian and sister Mina.
“As well as their brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nephews, nieces, cousins, extended family, neighbours and many friends.
“May they rest in peace.”
Tributes have flooded in for Claire, who was the manager of the Burren Centre.
One devastated friend said: “Claire was always so welcoming and I will miss her so much.”
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Another pal added: “I will always remember Claire as a beautiful lady.”
Fine Gael Cllr Joe Garrihy worked with Claire on a steering group for a regeneration project for the Burren Centre in Kilfenora.
He said: "Like everyone in the community, the staff at the Burren Centre are devastated by the tragedy.
"There is a numbness and and a disbelief here in north Clare today.
"I have to pinch myself - did it really happen? They are beautiful families involved across the board. It is just a terrible, terrible unimaginable tragedy.”
'FANTASTIC LADY'
Cllr Garrihy said: "Claire was a fantastic lady and I would have worked intensely with her when she became Manager of the Burren Centre in Kilfenora undertaking the regeneration of the Burren Centre in Kilfenora."
He said: "She was a lovely person to work with and committed beyond belief to the project.
"It was a new job for her and she took it on with a very positive and enthusiastic frame of mind."
Cllr Garrihy said: “This is just an awful tragedy for her family and for everyone involved.
"Claire was an incredibly resilient person and was able to deal with the challenges in the project and great to work with people.
"She was a very professional and a very capable person and always built a good relationship with everyone around her.”
