Man's house is ransacked and burgled after his coffin departs for his funeral in Limerick

A heartbroken family have made a public appeal to find out who burgled their late father’s home in Limerick on the morning of his funeral, “just after the hearse left the house”.

Stephanie Hartnett of Ballynagally, Old Pallas, close to Pallasgreen, along with her three sisters, Carmel, Mary and Teresa, buried their father John, fondly known as Jack Hartnett, on Monday, April 7.

Having left the house to attend her father’s funeral in St Patrick's & St Brigid’s Church in Kilteely with family at around 11am on the Monday morning, the house was reportedly broken into by burglars and ransacked.

“As we were passing a local road, my partner said to me ‘that looks like my old car’,” Stephanie said, as her partner had changed his car because it broke down.

“We sped up the road home and drove in - the car was gone. The lock on dad’s garage was busted and the window to the house was open. The house was ransacked, and all our stuff was everywhere.

“My late mother’s mortuary cards were on the ground, his [Mr Hartnett’s] clothes and cancer medications were everywhere.

“There was no cash in the house, but they took pictures of my bank card and took my dad’s mobile phone, which was of no value. They just destroyed the entire house.”

Stephanie, who has cared for her father for a number of years and lived with him at home with her partner, says her father “deserves justice” and that the home is in the Hartnett family for generations.

“They must have been on foot as they abandoned my partner’s car and knew everyone on the road would be at the funeral,” Stephanie said.

“We have CCTV, but, thank God, they took the wrong car. They took my dad’s car key but left it in the car that broke down. They obviously panicked.

“Someone knows who it was. It was at 11.40am, which, at that time, I was standing up giving a speech about my father, while the house was being ransacked.

“I believe they were looking for cash, but the fact that they stole dad’s cancer medications and his mobile phone... it was a targeted attack.”

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Gardaí have confirmed that “a number of items were reported as stolen” and that “investigations are ongoing”.

A well-known and well-respected man, Mr Hartnett, aged 74, passed away on Friday, April 4. He had been diagnosed with stage four brain cancer in November 2024 and had lost “energy in the right side of his body”, with Stephanie saying he was “dependent on other people”.

He peacefully passed away at home surrounded by his loving family and four daughters, Carmel, Mary, Teresa and Stephanie.

The burglary was described by Limerick City and County councillor Martin Ryan of Cappamore-Kilmallock as “the lowest of the low”.

“It was a soulless, despicable act. My sympathies are with the Hartnett family,” he said.

“Anyone breaking in and ransacking anyone's home is wrong, but I would think that the people did it in the knowledge that the family were burying their father was absolutely despicable.

“We, as councillors, are acting continuously to increase the presence of gardaí in rural communities. This again shows that we badly need local gardaí on the ground.”

Described as a “lovely, unassuming gentleman” and a “pure character”, Mr Hartnett worked as a mechanical fitter for the

Office of Public Works (OPW) from 1978 to 2016. The OPW manages the State’s property portfolio. It cares for 780 heritage sites, including national monuments, historic parks, gardens and buildings.

Many friends, neighbours and former colleagues of Mr Hartnett left heartfelt condolences, with one saying: “Sincere sympathy to Jack's family. I've been dealing with Jack for years and could safely say he never let me down. So kind and obliging. May he rest in peace.”

Another said: “Our sincere sympathies to the Hartnett and Meehan families on the death of Jack. We will miss the chats along the roads and in the garage. United again with Mary-Ann, you will be greatly missed by all who had the privilege of knowing you.”

Another person, a neighbour, wrote: “Sincere sympathy to Carmel, Mary, Teresa and Stephanie and the extended Hartnett family on the sad passing on Jack.

“He was a great friend and neighbour, always, and will be greatly missed. May he rest in peace.”