Community grieves for friends killed in crash

TWO inseparable friends born on the same day, but only a year apart, will be buried today as a distraught community tries to come to terms with the loss of the two young men, who died in a crash over the weekend.

Thomas O’Grady, aged 21, and Robert Lineen, aged 20, both from Lismore, Co Waterford, were killed when the Honda Civic car they were passengers in crashed at around 2am on Saturday.

The single-vehicle collision occurred within 200 yards of both the local garda station and the 21-year-old’s home.

Both young men were back-seat passengers in the car and were thrown from the vehicle by the impact.

The driver, Gerard Dunne, from Bridane, Lismore, and the other two passengers, Colm Bennett, of Dromrue, Lismore, and his first cousin Kevin Leahy, Bishopstown, Lismore, were also removed to the same hospital. Colm Bennett remains in a critical condition. Kevin Leahy is less seriously injured, while the driver miraculously escaped with minor injuries.

The late Thomas O’Grady is one of a family of five and eldest son of Garda Superintendent Tom O’Grady and Betty O’Grady. He had just graduated from the Air Corps Cadets as a pilot and had flown over his native Lismore several times in the past few weeks. He was due to get his wings in March.

Robert Lineen’s father, Willie Bob Lineen, died last year. The 20-year-old had been running the family farm ever since. His mother, Angela, is a long-stay patient in the local hospital.

The accident happened off a slight but deceptive bend in the town. It is believed the car struck the kerb on its correct side of the road, went out of control, careered across the road and demolished a brick wall. It then carried on for a further distance before ending up facing back in the direction from which it had originally been travelling.

Today, the inseparable friends will be laid to rest after separate funeral Masses at 11am and 2pm in the local graveyard. The Blackwater Community School will remain shut. Local councillor Kevin Wilkinson said the community is stunned by the horror of this crash.

“We’re dumbfounded by what has happened, it’s absolutely terrible. A couple of years ago, there was a similar accident, again involving five men. But they all survived. A brother of one of those involved in the crash on Saturday morning was also involved in this incident.

“This type of tragedy is now visiting every village, town and crossroads. We must do something to stop it. This accident happened inside the 30mph speed limit in a well-lit area just 300 yards from the garda station,” the Fianna Fáil councillor said.