'I DIDN'T GET THE CHANCE TO SAY GOODBYE TO DAD' Daughter's grief as horror death revealed.Byline: MICHELLE MICHELLE Mid-Infrared Echelle Spectrograph O'KEEFFE; NIALL MOONAN A HEARTBROKEN daughter of publican publican [Lat.,=state employee], in ancient Rome, man who was employed by the state government under contract. As early as c.200 B.C. there was a class of men in Rome accustomed to undertaking contracts involving public works and tax collecting; the tax collectors Matt Farrell who was beaten to death last night said: I never got the chance to say goodbye. Natalie, 22, told of her shock after a post-mortem revealed Matt, 64, had been tied to a chair and beaten to death at his Offaly pub. She last saw him a month ago - and regrets she never got to say a proper goodbye to the gentle giant barman. The customer service worker told The Mirror: "I was running out of the house, it was just a quick goodbye. I didn't get the chance to say a proper goodbye." Distraught Natalie urged the public to help catch his brutal killers. Natalie is Matt's fifth child from his second marriage to Mary Farrell. His first wife, Loretta - with whom he had four children - died suddenly 24 years ago. Her dad died after a gang raided The Gaelic Bar in Daingean. But yesterday it emerged that Matt had not been the victim of a heart attack as was first thought - but was beaten about the head. Natalie, who divides her time between Dublin and Tullamore, said: "That made it much harder. It's just a complete shock at the moment. I don't know how they can live with themselves. It's so heartless heart·less adj. 1. Devoid of compassion or feeling; pitiless. 2. Archaic Devoid of courage or enthusiasm; spiritless. heart and cruel. "He wouldn't have been fit of late so wouldn't have been able to protect himself. Dad was a strongwilled person but good natured, if you needed anything done he was there, he was well respected. I'd just ask anyone with information or who saw anything to come forward so we can find who did this." As a manhunt man·hunt n. An organized, extensive search for a person, usually a fugitive criminal. manhunt Noun an organized search, usually by police, for a wanted man or fugitive Noun 1. continued last night, pathologists revealed Matt was battered with a blunt object. The gang who burst into the bar in the early hours of Wednesday may have been looking for a paltry few euro - the proceeds of the pub's weekly GAA lotto draw. The Gaelic Bar regularly hosted a draw for the local Kilclonfert club on Tuesday nights. Bar worker Catherine Stapleton - the last person to see Matt alive and who worked with him for 12 years - said yesterday: "Everyone is horrified hor·ri·fy tr.v. hor·ri·fied, hor·ri·fy·ing, hor·ri·fies 1. To cause to feel horror. See Synonyms at dismay. 2. To cause unpleasant surprise to; shock. that Matt died from head injuries and not a heart attack as was first believed. "His family are absolutely devastated at the news and everyone is just rallying around to help them as best as we can. His family are really upset, as is everybody in the area. Matt was such a quiet man, he did not deserve to die in this terrible way. "He could have outlived us all if he had been left alone. It is a horrible way to go. Please God the gardai will catch the people who did this to Matt and they will be made pay for what they did. Matt was the finest boss ever, you couldn't get any better. "He had such a kind heart. People who came into the pub got a bit of dinner or soup and a sandwich free of charge. His death is heartbreaking." Catherine and her husband Eddie were the last people to see him alive at around 2.30am on Wednesday. His son Matthew Jnr found his dad's body a couple of hours later. Mr Farrell is understood to have made a substantial bank lodgement lodge·ment n. Variant of lodgment. Noun 1. lodgement - bringing a charge or accusation against someone lodgment hours before he was killed. A local source explained he was sometimes slow to bring money to the bank and the criminals behind the robbery may have assumed there was a larger amount on the premises. Detectives are examining the possibility that a Dublin gang carried out the raid but suspect they were aided by a local person. Heartbroken neighbours left floral tributes for the popular publican outside his pub which remained sealed off yesterday for forensic examination. Matt's grown-up grown-up adj. 1. Of, characteristic of, or intended for adults: grown-up movies; a grown-up discussion. 2. children Natalie, Matthew, David, Lorraine and Michelle were being comforted by friends last night. Parish priest Fr Paddy O'Byrne said: "I knew Matt really well and he was a very popular man. "The whole community is horri- fied that a murder investigation has been launched. Everyone is terrified ter·ri·fy tr.v. ter·ri·fied, ter·ri·fy·ing, ter·ri·fies 1. To fill with terror; make deeply afraid. See Synonyms at frighten. 2. To menace or threaten; intimidate. that a murder was carried out on their doorstep. "Elderly people especially those living on their own are very frightened at the moment. His family are shell-shocked and our thoughts and prayers are with them." More than a hundred Gardai have been drafted into the murder investigation to hunt down the killers. Anyone with information is asked to contact the incident room at Tullamore Garda station on 057 9327078. CAPTION(S): BIG DAY Matt marries second wife Mary LOVING Matt and daughter Natalie SCENE Gaelic Bar TRIBUTE Neighbour with flowers POPULAR Matt Farrell |
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