on 21 april 1971, his father died. two weeks after his father's death, on 4 may 1971, shay elliott was found dead in the living quarters above the family business premises, at the age of just 36. the cause of death was a shotgun wound, rupturing his heart and liver, from a gun about whose unreliable fittings friends had warned him. the coroner recorded an "open verdict" and three competing theories circulated about the cause of death: that it was indeed a gun accident, that he committed suicide, and that he was killed by a breton crime syndicate to whom he owed money from his failed hotel business (he had worried about people "hanging round" near the premises in previous weeks). he was laid to rest alongside his father at st mochonog's church, kilmacanogue, county wicklow, with his wife marguerite, parents and brother in attendance. his son pascal died in a motorcycle accident on 13 november 1978 at the age of 16, and was buried in france.