Two fire victims had other wounds

Additional injuries were found on the bodies of Dermot and Lorraine Flood

Two of the four family members found dead in their burnt out home in Wexford had injuries not linked to the fire, it has been revealed.

A preliminary examination of the scene in Clonroche found that Dermot, 41, and Lorraine Flood, 38, had other injuries.

Gardaí could not say exactly what had caused the wounds but that they were treating the deaths as suspicious.

The bodies of the couple and their two children Mark, 6, and Julie, 5, were discovered by firefighters on Saturday.

The results of post mortem examinations being carried out on the bodies are expected later.

Norma Doyle, principal of St Aidan's National School in Clonroche, said the tight-knit community was "devastated."

"We are all struggling to come to terms with this dreadful tragedy - our school has lost two beautiful students," she said.

"They were happy, bubbly children and we will miss them dreadfully."

Counsellors and local clergy will be at St Aidan's on Monday to support Mark and Julie's classmates and parents affected by the tragedy.

The bodies of Mark, 6, and Julie, 5, were discovered by firefighters

The family was well known in south Wexford with Dermot running his father's firm, Sean Flood Water Filtration, for the last few years.

Mr Flood's family were well known in Gaelic Athletic Association circles across the county.

Lorraine's family, the Kehoes, were also well known.

Denis Kennedy, a local Fine Gael councillor who is related to the Kehoes, said the area had once again been left in shock.

"It's very, very hard to comprehend at all. They would have been very well known families who lived in the area all their life times," he said.

"There's no way anyone can console them. What words can you say that would offer them some comfort?"

The 38-year-old mother-of-two took part in the Rose of Tralee contest in 1991 and worked as an aerobics instructor.

She was a first cousin of Reading and Republic of Ireland international footballer Kevin Doyle.

The striker was told the tragic news by team manager Steve Coppell at half time during a crucial match on Saturday.