'Beyond humanity': Selfie seekers slammed for taking photos at Michael Gaine's Kerry farm

Prominent TD and Minister of State Michael Healy-Rae has spoken out against people taking photos and videos of Michael Gaine's farm in County Kerry. 

Mr Gaine, also known as Mike, went missing from his farm in Kenmare on March 20 and human tissue which was found on his farm in mid-May was a DNA match.

A murder investigation is continuing and gardai have maintained a presence at the 1,000-acre farm since the discovery of his remains.  

It's understood that members of An Garda Síochána have had to place parking cones at the farm’s entrance to keep vehicles away, including those whose occupants are trying to get close to the farm to take photos and video. 

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Speaking to The Irish Sun, Mr Michael Healy-Rae said the practice is ‘abhorrent’ to those living in the locality. 

The Kerry TD expressed his anger at personally seeing tourists travel to the farm: “I see it myself when I am driving along the road, which is one of the busiest in Kerry. There are all these cars and other vehicles driving along slowly. The people inside have the windows down or worse still stop. They are out with their st***d phones.” 

He continued: “It’s not locals obviously. It’s national and international tourists and day visitors to the area. This is in very poor taste as it was a local man who was murdered in the most horrific way.

“We all knew him, his family are living in the locality, and yet people are stopping to take photos, films, and worse yet selfies. It is completely disrespectful and upsetting for us all. They should think about other people’s feelings. To take pictures where a man has been brutally murdered, or where people are seriously injured and then posting it on the internet for hits, is beyond humanity.” 

Mr Healy-Rae then condemned the actions of those seeking to take photos and record video. “This murder tourism and filming is just awful. Words can’t describe how abhorrent this is to the people living here.” 

The Minister of State in the Department of Agriculture says those who engage in "murder tourism’ such as this and who post photos (of crime scenes) online should be jailed: “People who do things like this should be jailed for a year. You should have a thing called manners when it comes to using your phone. They should cop on and grow up.” 

It has been reported that locals have made complaints to gardai about people stopping at Mr Gaine's farmland to take pictures and videos. 

Michael Gaine was remembered at his funeral service by his wife Janice as: “A true man. He was soft and loving. Caring and affectionate. Kind and considerate.” 

Commenting on the apparent lack of public updates on the ongoing murder investigation Mr Healy-Rae stated: “There is worry and we want answers. We all want justice for Michael's family.”