Pat’s chairman backs new GAA response plan for tragic incidents

A tribute to Adrian Donohoe inside the St Patrick’s clubrooms in Lordship

The chairman of local GAA club St Patrick’s GFC has backed a new GAA response plan for deaths, suicides and other tragic incidents that affect clubs.

The document which was unveiled at Croke Park on Wednesday will offer clubs and counties a blueprint for dealing with trying and unexpected situations ranging from deaths, illnesses and injuries to instances of severe depression which may affect team members or people within the locality.

St Pat’s have had more than their fair share of tragedy to dela with over the years from the murders of Tom Oliver and Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe to the tragic accident which claimed the life of Eamon Carroll just days after he had won a Senior Championship with the club last year.

Club chairman Alan Scully said at the lunch that the club found real difficulty in trying to deal with the intense publicity and sense of loss which followed Adrian Donohoe’s murder on January 25^th 2013.

“Adrian was a huge presence in the club, and the night of the incident when Adrian was murdered, it was just numbness. That Friday night and Saturday morning everybody was just extremely numb and shocked.

“We were dealing with press from all over the world, and as an amateur organisation it was very difficult to deal with it at the time because we were dealing with our own sense of loss . . . We had a lot of under-16 guys who were very impressionable and very shook by what happened to Adrian.

“It’s like somebody turning off the light and you really don’t know what to do, and you’re walking around trying to find your way and I think this document will shed some light on it.”

According to GAA president Aogán Ó Fearghail, the organisation’s health and community team receives between 30 and 40 requests each year from clubs and counties seeking help in dealing with critical incidents, which it defines as “a situation that overwhelms one’s natural capacity to respond”.

The generic version of the plan can be openly downloaded from gaa.ie/community, but individual clubs are encouraged to tailor its contents to suit their own area’s particular needs and resources.

Woman released from hospital following road crash

A woman in her 60s was taken to hospital following a single vehicle accident on the Knockbridge to Louth Village road on Friday evening.

The incident occurred around 3.25pm, with Gardaí, ambulance personnel and Dundalk Fire Service all attending the scnee.

The 63-year-old woman was taken to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda for treatment of her minor injuries but was released over the weekend.

Dundalk Simon Community insist worker claiming unfair dismissal is still an employee

A former worker with Dundalk Simon Community remains an employee despite the fact he has not worked there since 2008, the Employment Appeals Tribunal has been told.

Joseph Shields is claiming he was unfairly dismissed after he suffered personal injuries in a traffic accident which took place in February 2008.

Counsel for Mr Shields, James Doran BL, said his client was off work for about five months and was advised by his doctors to return to work on a phased basis.

But he said Mr Shields was rostered to work seven, 12-hour shifts over nine days at his job in a “wet hostel”. A wet hostel is where those staying are allowed to drink alcohol.

Mr Shields found he was not up to the strenuous rostering and went on certified sick leave again.

Mr Doran said the employer’s doctors had concurred with Mr Shields’ medical team that a phased return to work was the best method and also the most appropriate option.

The tribunal heard there had been some attempts to redeploy Mr Shields to work which included locating at a dry hostel and less pay.

However, ultimately, Mr Shields received a letter from Dundalk Simon and an RP50 form advising him he was being made redundant, his counsel said.

However, at the opening of the employment appeals hearing counsel for Dundalk Simon, Aaron Shearer BL claimed Mr Shields had not been dismissed.

The tribunal chairman noted that if it emerged as fact that Mr Shields was not dismissed, Dundalk Simon had no case to answer.

Mr Shearer said Mr Shields had not engaged with the redundancy process and it had never been completed. He said that “nothing had happened” to Mr Shields’ status as an employee and Mr Shields remained an unpaid employee of Dundalk Simon.

Mr Shearer said Mr Shields had been given a P45 “for payroll reasons” in December 2008. But this did not represent a dismissal.

The case was adjourned until February 23rd.

Source: The Irish Times

Renewed appeal for information on hit and run incident in Louth Village

Keith Byrne RIP

Gardaí have renewed their appeal for information on the hit and run death of Keith Byrne in Louth Village ahead of his funeral Mass this morning.

The 35-year-old was knocked down close to his home at Carnalough around 4.40am on Sunday and died from head and leg injuries sustained in the hit and run incident.

Keith will be laid to rest following Mass at 11am this morning in the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Louth Village.

Ahead of his funeral, Gardaí have asked that anyone with information to contact them in Ardee Garda Station at 041-6853222.

Road crash at Dundalk IT

 

A road crash occurred last night at the pedestrian lights at Dundalk IT.

Gardaí were called to the scene and were directing traffic for a time but the scene was quickly cleared and thankfully no serious injuries were reported.

Picture: Brian Farrelly (Twitter)