Fears ease as condition of men improves

FEARS for the lives of two young men who collapsed in separate incidents in the midlands over the weekend were eased yesterday when the condition of both improved from “critical” to “stable”.

Gardaí and doctors were trying to establish if the symptoms suffered by the men were drug-related.

A 17-year-old from the Mullingar area collapsed on the street in the early hours of Sunday and was brought to the intensive care unit at the Midlands Regional Hospital in Tullamore.

A 26-year-old from Longford town was found collapsed in his apartment on Saturday afternoon, having attended a Christmas party the previous night. He was found by a family member and brought to the Longford-Westmeath Regional Hospital in Mullingar.

Yesterday, the hospitals confirmed that both men were listed as stable.

Meanwhile, the second man to die as a result of reportedly taking cocaine at a house party in Waterford 16 days ago will be buried today.

John Grey’s remains were removed to St Saviour’s Church in Ballybeg, Waterford, last night and funeral Mass takes place today at 11am. He will be buried at Ballinaneesha cemetery afterwards.

Mr Grey, 23, died at midday on Saturday with family members at his bedside. He is survived by his parents, Betty and Martin Grey, his sister Michelle and brothers Michael and Mark.

Votes of sympathy to the family of Mr Grey and the family of Kevin Doyle, 21, who passed away last Tuesday and was buried on Thursday afternoon in Ballygunner, were passed at last night’s meeting of Waterford City Council.

Mr Grey and Mr Doyle were among 15 people hospitalised on November 25 following celebrations to mark the 21st birthday of Mr Grey’s brother, Mark.

A taskforce set up in the aftermath of the house party at Ballybeg Square on November 25 will meet in the next week or so to discuss the fight against drugs.

Gardaí, community representatives, politicians and residents are all involved with the taskforce, while the tragic events at Ballybeg are also expected to be raised at the next meeting of the Waterford joint policing committee.

“What we need now is for people to get something done within the communities, and to be seen to be doing something,” said city councillor John Halligan yesterday.

He called for gardaí and HSE workers to be called in by schools to speak on the dangers of drugs and to relate first-hand accounts of the damage caused by cocaine and heroin.