Rural community to say farewell to murdered farmer Paddy Lyons today

Farmer Paddy Lyons will be laid to rest today when hundreds are expected to gather in his home community to say their farewells.

The 90-year-old single man was found dead in his rural farmhouse near the village of Ballysaggart in west Waterford nine days ago and is believed to have been beaten with an iron implement.

A 26-year-old from Clonmel, Co Tipperary, has been charged with his murder and is currently in custody.

The parish of Lismore and Ballysaggart said at the weekend that it will take “a long, long time” for neighbours to come to terms with the personal and communal grief felt in the locality since Mr Lyons was killed.

“His violent death has visited trauma on all the members of the community who had close contact with him,” the parish notes said.

“Our sympathy is with his relations and those who cared for him. With a death we move from numbness, sorrow and lastly to grief.”

The parish commended the gardaí on their investigation.

Mr Lyons’s remains lay in repose at St Carthage’s Mortuary in Lismore yesterday before being removed to St Mary’s Church in Ballysaggart. He will be buried in the adjoining graveyard today after funeral Mass.

Mr Lyons lived at Logleagh, Ballysaggart, about 10km from Lismore. An only child, he was a son of John and Nora who died many years ago.

He was last seen alive on the evening of Friday week, February 24, and concern grew locally when he failed to attend the funeral of a neighbour and close friend, Maureen Walsh, on Saturday.

A couple who were regular visitors to the popular retired farmer called to his house on Saturday evening and raised the alarm with another neighbour when Mr Lyons was seen slumped in his chair.

The emergency services attended the farmhouse but the 90-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene.

Gardaí immediately launched an investigation into the suspicious death and upgraded it to a murder inquiry last Monday after an autopsy revealed that Mr Lyons had sustained violent injuries.

Ballysaggart Community Alert treasurer Tom Veale said last week that the murder had caused great “concern” and sent “shock waves” through the area.

Paddy Lyons was very well known around Ballysaggart and beyond and regularly attended a monthly dance in the community centre as well as the local pub. He was described as “very alert, very sharp” by Mr Veale.

Ross Outram, of Ferryland, Clonmel had appeared, midweek, before a sitting of Dungarvan district court.

Charged with murder, he was remanded in custody and will appear again in Dungarvan court this Wednesday.