The elderly Irishtown couple whose bodies were found in a suspected murder/suicide last week will be buried together this afternoon following a joint funeral service.

The remains of Tom and Kitty Fitzgerald were found at around 3pm last Tuesday by a local person who called at the family home in Knockadoon, just outside Irishtown.

Their son Paul (35), who was discovered at the scene with head injuries, is currently in a critical but stable condition in Beaumont Hospital in Dublin.

Friends and family of Tom (75) and Kitty (72) paid tribute at their removal in Irishtown last night.

Their funeral Mass will take place at noon today at the Church of the Holy Family, Irishtown, followed by burial in the adjoining cemetery.

A post-mortem carried out by State Pathologist Dr Marie Cassidy was concluded over the weekend, with gardaí stating that they were not looking for anybody else in relation to the violent death.

Gardaí, while not confirming it, are believed to be now treating the discovery of  Kitty and Tom Fitzgerald as a murder/suicide.

The body of Tom Fitzgerald was found in the farmyard outside the family home, while his wife Kitty was discovered inside the property.

Early investigations suggest that Tom Fitzgerald murdered his wife Kitty and attempted to kill his son Paul before taking his own life. However, gardai have refused to confirm the murder suicide theory.

The Garda Technical Bureau has completed its forensic examination of the scene.

The tragedy has left the local community in a state of shock.

In a statement, gardaí thanked the community for their assistance and made a further appeal for anyone with information to come forward.