Road crashes claim three lives

Three Meath people lost their lives in road tragedies in three different counties in the past week. The Mayor of Navan has paid tribute to the late Michael Walsh, The Elms, Beaufort Place, who died when the van he was driving was involved in a three-vehicle collison in Monaghan last Thursday. The accident took place on the N2 between Castleblaney and Carrickmacross. Navan Mayor Padraig Fitzsimons said he deeply regretted the death of Mr Walsh. The deceased, aged 52, worked for pharmaceutical wholesaler and distributor Cahill May Roberts for some 30 years. His wife, Jackie, by whom he is survived, is well-known from her work in the China Garden take-away premises at Brews Hill, Navan. Mr Walsh is survived also by his sons, Mark, Barry and Keith; brother, Frank; sister, Eileen; sister-in-law, Jean, nephews and other relatives. A loyal supporter of the Navan Cosmos soccer club for whom his sons Mark and Keith played, Mr Walsh was remembered by the Navan Mayor for his 'upbeat' attitude to life. Colr Fitzsimons greatly admired the relationship he had with his sons, adding that he often felt that, when he reached that age, he wanted to be like Mr Walsh. His funeral took place from St Oliver"s Church, Blackcastle, to St Mary"s Cemetery,Navan. On Wednesday afternoon, John Keoghan, Silverlawns, Navan, a 46 year-old father of four, was pronounced dead at Our Lady"s Hospital, Navan, following a single vehicle accident at Swainstown, Dunsany, at 3.15pm. Mr Keoghan was a member of a well-known Kilmessan family and was also a familiar figure in Navan where he was one of the first to have a taxi plate in the town when they were introduced a decade ago. Deceased was working for a local food vending company at the time of his death. Mr Keoghan is survived by his wife, Geraldine; family, Tanya, Wayne, Tara and Chloe; brothers, sisters, mother-in-law, son-in-law, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews and grandsons. The removal of his remains took place on Sunday morning from his Silverlawns home to The Church of the Nativity, Kilmessan, where he was interred in the adjoining cemetery. A Longwood native, Leo Mullally, also died last week when his motorcycle crashed into a roundabout. The fatality happened on the Grangecastle Road in Clondalkin, Dublin, at about 6.20pm on Tuesday of last week. No other vehicle was involved. The victim, in his 30s, was rushed by ambulance to Tallaght Hospital. Mr Mullally, who was living in Kilcock, is survived by his wife, Marion; son, Conor; daughters, Aoife and Katie; his mother, Mary; brothers, sisters, nephews and nieces. The funeral took place from St Coca"s Church, Kilcock, with burial afterwards in the local St Joseph"s Cemetery.