In a suspected m_√d£r-su•cide in West Dublin on Thursday morning, January 8, a young boy is thought to have been b√utally k!.lled by his father.
At a home in Lindisfarne Grove, Clondalkin, West Dublin, 11-year-old Oisin O’Reilly was found d£•d. At a home in Cherry Orchard, Ballyfermot, the body of his father, Wayne O’Reilly, 48, was also found. After escaping the scene in Clondalkin, it is believed that he committed suicide.
The remains of Oisin were discovered in Clondalkin, which is only fifteen minutes away, after Irish police were informed of the situation. He is thought to have died from asphyxiation.
According to the Irish Mirror, the father and son were reported missing to the Gardai in October 2025, which led to a nationwide alert before they were eventually located safely.
Around 3:20 p.m., the young boy’s body was taken from the scene in front of a group of shocked and devastated neighbors. A portion of the road in front of the property was cordoned off by Gardai, and members of the Garda Technical Bureau were visible at the scene.
A man claiming to be a “good friend” of Wayne O’Reilly expressed his deep sorrow over the tragic events while speaking to The Irish Mirror from the scene in Ballyfermot. The man, who wished to remain anonymous, was visibly distressed as he spoke.
“He was a good friend. I have known him for more than 20 years. We are all shocked and devastated by what has happened.I last spoke to him about two weeks ago. He was in good form. He absolutely doted on (the little boy).”
The friend also described the father as a skilled mechanic who ran a car sales business. He revealed that the man’s mental health had deteriorated in recent years, adding: “He was very popular and none of his friends saw this coming at all. Everyone is shocked. Nobody can believe what happened.”
Clondalkin Councillor Francis Timmons spoke of the heartbreak rippling through the local area – and how youngsters who knew the child were finding it difficult to come to terms with the tragedy.
“Bawnogue and the wider Clondalkin community are in shock and disbelief to learn of two tragic de@ths.My heart and thoughts go out to the families and friends devastated by such an appalling loss. The whole community joins in grief of such unexpected loss. My thoughts are also with the child’s school friends who are in shock and upset by their school friend’s de@th,” he said.
The incident is currently being treated as a murd£r – su!cide, and officers are not seeking anyone else in connection with it.
In an official statement, gardai revealed they are “investigating all of the circumstances surrounding the discovery of two bodies at domestic residences in Ballyfermot, Dublin 10 and Clondalkin, Dublin 22, on Thursday 8th January 2026.”
They detailed the grim discovery, saying: “Gardaí and emergency services were called to a domestic residence in Cherry Orchard, Ballyfermot this morning at approximately 8:30am. A body of a male (aged in his 40s) was discovered dece@sed at the scene,” they said.
During subsequent investigations, they found another tragic casualty.
The continued: “In follow up enquiries the body of a male child was discovered at a domestic residence in Clondalkin. Both locations have been preserved for forensic examination by the Garda Technical Bureau.”
They also informed about the procedural steps taken, saying: “The Coroner has been notified and the services of the Office of the State Pathologist have been requested. The body of the male adult has been removed from the scene to the city morgue. The body of the male child remains at the scene.”
They concluded with the next steps in the investigation: “Post-mortem examinations will be arranged in due course. The results of these examinations will assist Gardaí in determining the course of the investigation. The investigation is being carried out under a Senior Investigating Officer, gardai added.”
