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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
World
Paul Healy & Alahna Kindred

Nephew shares first photo of dead uncle whose body he carried into post office

The man who brought his dead uncle to a post office to collect his pension has shared a photo of him and revealed the death threats he has received.

Declan Haughney, 40, and his friend Gareth Coakley brought Peadar Doyle, 66, to the post office to collect his pension on Friday, "not realising" he had died.

This week, Declan carried his uncle's coffin during the funeral service.

And now, he is back in the home that he shared with this uncle and has shared a photo with the Irish Mirror of Peadar.

Declan says he wants the public to remember his uncle and he wants to get back to life, despite what he says has been a constant whirlwind of threats and jibes in recent days.

This is Peadar Doyle, who died last week, as this photo has been shared by his nephew (Image By Mick O’Neill..)

He told the Irish Mirror: "I’m still trying to get the house back clean. I’m going to get the house back clean first.

“There were five dogs in the house and I’m taking two of them back. It is [weird being back in the house without Peadar] I won’t lie, it is.

“All the dogs now are gone, Peadar is gone. There’s just me.”

Declan claims he's been getting threats since the tragedy as well as bizarre requests for his autograph from members of the public.

Declan Haughney has shared this photo of Peadar Doyle, which was taken a few years ago, so people will remember him (Image By Mick O’Neill..)

He claimed: "I’ve been getting threats. Getting shouted at and people saying ‘Deccy give me your autograph’ and all that.

“But if I was to worry about that I wouldn’t walk out the door."

He also says he will continue to speak out because he claims he did nothing wrong the day he brought his uncle to the post office in Hoseys, Ireland.

Declan Haughney, front right, carries the coffin of his uncle Peadar Doyle (Image By Mick O’Neill..)

Declan said: "I’m in bad form. I’m my own man. If I want to get my own word out I’ll say it."

Speaking about the funeral on Monday, Declan said carrying his uncle's coffin was a way for him to show that the allegations “are bullsh*t”.

He added: "It was because right it’s showing people that it’s all bullsh*t yeah.

“My family are strict family yeah. If they thought for one second if it was anything got to do with me, they would not let me around the place.

Declan Haughney outside the home he shared with his uncle (Mick O’Neill)

“Number two, with the guards, would I not be arrested, no? I’m hearing now that it’s [the story] has gone worldwide."

The Garda investigation into what exactly happened in the events leading up to the discovery of Peadar’s body in the post office continues.

It is understood gardai are looking into whether any potential financial fraud was taking place — but the probe is also understood to be focused on whether any person “failed to notify” the authorities of a dead body.

Declan Haughney sit at a table inside Peadar’s home yesterday (Image By Mick O’Neill..)

Declan claims his uncle was unwell two days prior to what happened.

He also that now with hindsight, Peadar may have died during the walk to the post office, as he became “all slumpy” at a bridge less than a two-minute walk from his home on Pollerton Road.

Declan maintains that neither he nor Gareth realised he was dead.

Both men have given voluntary statements to gardai, and no arrests have been made to date.

On Sunday, Declan told how his uncle was “under the bed” for days prior to the incident, and if he could turn back time, he says he wishes he’d notified someone that he was unwell.

This is the post office that Declan brought his dead uncle (Image By Mick O’Neill..)

He said: "Now in the last month he’s telling me he doesn’t feel well, he’s after deteriorating.

“He says ‘Declan, I don’t feel well.’ I said to myself I don’t feel well either.

“He was on the ground off the bed. I said what’s wrong, he said ‘I’m grand’.”

But he said “people in the town” believe the worst of him — namely that he’s a drug addict who tried to steal his uncle’s pension.

Declan previously told the Irish Mirror how he was branded a “murderer” in the local community ever since the sensational story emerged.

But he insisted he’s “not an eejit” – and believes he’s being accused of dragging his dead uncle into a post office to rob his pension because he previously stole from his aunt.

He said: “Why would I want to rob my uncle? I’m 40 years of age yeah, I’m not a child, I’m not a young fella.

"I’m not an eejit to walk into Hoseys with a dead man and collect his money. Am I cuckoo? Am I cuckoo? I’m not.”

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