Man who brought dead uncle to collect pension carries coffin at funeral

Peader Doyle (66) was laid to rest this morning after passing away “suddenly” last Friday.

His funeral mass took place at 11am on Monday in Church of the Holy Family, Askea with a burial afterwards in St. Mary’s Cemetery.

Declan Haughney, Mr Doyle's nephew who is at the centre of controversy after he brought his uncle's body into a post office on Staplestown Road with friend Gareth Coakley, was a pallbearer at the funeral.

Speaking to the Sunday World on Saturday, both men claimed that Mr Doyle was still alive when they brought him on the short walk to the local post office last Friday.

At his funeral this morning, Mr Doyle's family paid tribute to the late painter.

A relative wrote: “Peader, thank you for being the best uncle anyone could ever have. Rest in peace, till we meet again."

A funeral notice for Mr Doyle read: "Sadly missed by his heartbroken sister Noeleen, brothers-in-law Liam Dowling and Christopher Haughney, nephews, nieces, grand-nephews, grand-nieces, relatives and friends."

Peader had been brought into Hosey's shop in Carlow at 11am on Friday, propped up by his nephew Declan and Gareth, to collect his pension.

A post-mortem examination carried out last week ruled out any foul play and established that Mr Doyle died within three hours before the bizarre incident.

Gareth said Peader became "heavier and heavier" and "I couldn't hold him anymore".

Gareth told us: "The papers are saying he was already dead but that's bullsh*t.

"He was alive - 100 per cent. "We're hardly going to drag a dead man down the road, for f**k sake."

As our reporter was speaking with Gareth, Declan Haughney approached bleeding freely from a number of facial wounds and gashes.

When we put what Gareth had told us to Declan Haughney, he told us: "He was … yeah. I'm after being beat up over this."

Friends of Peader's told the Sunday World that Peader and his brother Lawrence, who were both talented painters by trade, had lived at number 199 Pollerton Road for decades. Peader also helped rear his nephew Declan at that address.

Peader suffered from heart-related medical difficulties and Lawrence helped care for him. But tragedy befell the brothers when Lawrence was diagnosed with cancer.

Lawrence subsequently died on October 4, 2020 at St. Luke's Hospital.

A neighbour of Peader's described him as a quiet and gentle old man

"It's so sad what's after happening. Him and Lawrence were just lovely."

There have been no arrests so far in the case. Both Gareth Coakley and Declan Haughney were interviewed by gardaí and have given statements.