Father of man who drowned in Grand Canal hopes plaque can be erected in son's memory

Greg in beige cap with a busker at the memorial for his son Alex Warnick in July at the Garden of Remembrace where 75 people showed up to pay their respects.

The American father of a homeless man who died in a double drowning last year in a canal in Dublin is urging the local council to erect a plaque in memory of his son.

Alex Warnick, aged 42, lost his life alongside his 49-year-old friend Donal Scanlon from Co Kerry when they fell into the Grand Canal. Their remains were discovered by a passer-by at around 8am on July 6.

Mr Warnick, who had moved to Ireland from the US, had been sleeping in a pop-up tent near Mr Scanlon at the time. An inquest into their deaths returned open verdicts because not all facts relating to what happened could be established.

Alex Warnick had battled with addiction and had left home as a teenager before travelling to the UK and then to Ireland.

His heartbroken father Greg, himself a former alcoholic, has made the difficult journey from his home in Oregon to visit Dublin for the first time since his son passed away.

He told the Irish Examiner he wanted to thank his son’s friends for caring for him, and to visit the place where he died.

“I think the fact I met with everyone, his family there [in Dublin], it continues to help a lot of people,” he said.

It was a really touching time, I was really emotional to see how Alex was like a folk hero to his friends in Dublin.

“I wrote a song about him, I called it Angel Wash and there is a line it, ‘I never saw the diamonds I only saw the coal’, it was really true; there was two parts to Alex’s life, and I didn’t always see that.

“It really helped to go and meet his friends, to see where he died and to spend time with people who loved him.

“We met in the Garden of Remembrance, and around 75 people showed up. I couldn’t believe it. It was so touching."

Greg, in a beige cap, at the memorial for his son Alex Warnick in July.

Mr Warnick said he gave his son’s ashes to his friends and to his mother’s sister, who also travelled to Dublin for the gathering in Alex’s memory.

“I had made these T-shirts with a line drawing his brother did of him, I gave out my song on CD, and I had these small plastic vials with some ashes in them I just asked if anyone wanted them and they were all gone in 10 minutes, I thought it was best his friends do what they wanted with them.

“Then we went to the place where he drowned in the canal. It really was ridiculous, he was camped one foot from the canal, but there is no point in thinking about it now.

“What I would like now is to have a small permanent memorial there, and I am going to get in touch with the council to see if this will be possible”.

Mr Warnick said the journey to Dublin was “emotional”, but that he was very happy he made the trip.

“It helped put everything to bed, I was really glad I got to see everyone and travel around Dublin," he said. 

"I know many of Alex’s friends have addiction problems and I went to a meeting myself when I was there and brought some of them with me — just to show them there is support if you’re ready, and this is what it’s like”.

Memorial for Alex Warnick set up by his friends and family. Picture: Alison O'Reilly

Mr Warnick said he hopes his son “has found peace”.

“We had seen him before he died, we had made our peace, and maybe he was ready. His mother had left him an inheritance after she died, and I think it was all too much for him — he had a life of problems, and our relationship had been difficult at times, but I think in the end it was tough for him.

“I would just like to have a memorial for him now, I think it would be a lovely thing to do.”