Family and friends pay tribute after devastating loss

AMONG those who placed flowers at the scene of the fatal crash in Limerick yesterday were Patrick and Eileen O’Donovan, whose daughter Trish is married to Richard Feury.

The Feurys have one son, Josh, who will be three later this month.

Mr O’Donovan, fighting back tears, said: “Richard was a very down to earth man who loved his family, his job and his little boy. I don’t know what is going to happen. They were a very united couple and we are all devastated. Words can’t describe it.

“They took all the precautions of getting a taxi back from the races. We are all devastated.”

Customers at Tommy Griffin’s butcher shop in the Square, where Richard worked, were grief-stricken as they tried to come to terms with the tragedy.

Kitty Griffin pointed to a photograph Richard had placed inside the counter of his son, Josh, who he described as his pride and joy. “Like lots of people he wanted to have a photograph of little Josh near him where he worked. Richard was a gentleman and he and Tommy Murphy and Tommy Holmes were life-long friends and they always went to Listowel for a few days of the racing.

“Richard planned to take a number of half days this week to go to the races with the others. And they did all the right things by booking hackneys to take them over to Listowel and home after the races. They would be going today.”

Tommy Griffin found it hard to speak.

“Richard has been working here with me for the past 15 years,” he said. Richard had commenced his training as a butcher at a local supermarket before going to work at Griffins.

Tommy Holmes, who was a painter decorator, was a great Manchester United fan and travelled a few times a year to Old Trafford. Francis Hayden, who runs the Goodfellas pub in Maiden Street with his brother Chris, said: “We have about 40 members in our Man United fan club here in the bar and Tommy was a real Man United supporter. We go over for a few games to Old Trafford every season and Tommy always travelled.

“He was the kind of person who never got excited when watching a match, he was always calm and a very nice fellow. He and Richard (Feury) used to come in to play games of pool. They were two genuine, nice guys and you would never hear a bad word from them.

“After Man United, Tommy’s next big interest was horses. He’d come in to watch the racing and go over across the street to Ladbrokes to have his bets.”

Flags flew at half mast at the Plassey Foods plant on the Ardagh Road, where Tommy Murphy worked. Originally from Rooskagh outside the town, he moved to Daarwood Crescent some years ago where he lived near Richard Feury.

His brother Michael was sitting near him in the hackney when the crash happened.

Sergeant Denis Woods of Newcastle West said over the past 19 years there have been six fatal accidents on the stretch of road at Garryduff where the the three men lost their lives.

The road contains a series of bends on a steep incline to Barnagh Gap.

Local county councillor Michael Collins said Newcastle West was devastated.

“The Listowel Race week is always great in Newcastle West as huge numbers from the town go racing and some businesses close on the Monday which is always a great West Limerick day at Listowel.

“But a lot of people who had planned to go today won’t be going because of this awful accident. They were three fine men who loved following sport and were on their way home from another great day at the races in Listowel.”