Man shot dead in Co Cavan house

Gardaí have begun a murder investigation after a man was shot dead as he slept in his house in Belturbet, Co Cavan early this morning.

The 31-year-old victim died in the shooting in the Kilconny Estate at about 5am, according to a Garda spokesman. It is believed he was shot several times by a lone gunman.

The man was in bed with his partner and their 13-month-old baby was in the next room when the man was shot dead.

It is believed the gunman entered the house sometime around 5am, climbed the stairs and entered the couple’s bedroom where he opened fire.

The victim was shot several times while the woman and the baby both escaped physically uninjured.

Neighbours said the victim was originally from Dublin but moved to Belturbet with her mother and two sisters in the mid-1990s.

His body was taken from the murder scene after a preliminary post-mortem examination by Deputy State Pathologist Michael Curtis for further tests at Cavan General Hospital. The house was sealed off for forensic examination by experts from the Garda Technical Bureau.

Gardai have appealed to anyone who was in the area of the Kilconny Estate in the early hours of this morning to contact gardaí in Ballyconnell, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station.

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