A man found dead with his wife at their Co Clare home was a prominent member of an Irish cycling club, which voted him 'leisure cyclist of the year' in 2022. Joe Collins (54) was found deceased outside his home on Thursday afternoon and his wife, Claire, was discovered deceased inside the family bungalow.
The local community has reacted with shock and disbelief at the deaths of the married couple, which are now under investigation by gardaí. Autopsies results were being studied by gardaí.
The couple had two adult daughters, who were not at home when the alarm was raised at about 2.30pm on Thursday. The deaths of the couple have generated significant media coverage in recent days, with members of the local cycling community among those mourning the Collins'.
Dolmen Cycling Club said Mr Collins was one of its members and the club extended its sympathies to the couple's family and friends.
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"On behalf of Dolmen Cycling Club, and the wider cycling community in Co Clare and beyond, we announce the untimely deaths of our club member Joe Collins and his wife Claire at their home in Kilnaboy," the club said in a short statement on social media. "Our deepest sympathies go out to the immediate family and friends of the Collins family."
Gardaí released a statement last night saying they were "continuing to investigate all the circumstances surrounding the deaths of Claire and Joe Collins at a domestic residence in Kilnaboy, Co Clare" on Thursday, November 9th.
"The post mortems of both individuals have been completed. The results of these post mortems will not be released for operational reasons. The scene remains preserved and technical examinations are ongoing.
"The primary focus for Gardaí at this time is the preparation of a file for the coroner. Gardaí are not looking for any other individual in relation to this incident at this time. No further information is available."
