Latest news with #ShannonsideFM
The Journal
a day ago
- The Journal
Man killed after explosion and fire at house in Co Roscommon named locally as Des Deegan (72)
LAST UPDATE | 1 hr ago TRIBUTES ARE BEING paid to a devoted partner who died in a Roscommon house fire overnight. The man has been named locally as Des Deegan, aged 72. The fire happened at a housing estate on the Boyle Road near Frenchpark village, which is around 30km north of Roscommon town. Gardaí and emergency services responded to the scene. Gardaí were made aware of the incident at 7.15pm, a spokesperson said, and the fire was extinguished by fire services. Emergency services are understood to have responded to reports very quickly. Roscommon County Council said fire units from Ballaghaderreen and Boyle Fire Stations numbering 20 personnel responded to the scene. Gardaí, ambulance staff and an air ambulance also attended the scene. Specialist excavation equipment was used at the scene to assist in emergency operations. Smoke from the blaze could be seen from a great distance away, and it is understood that local residents heard an explosion immediately before the fire. The aftermath of the blaze today. Courtesy of Shannonside FM Courtesy of Shannonside FM The scene remains sealed off for technical examinations and enquiries are ongoing. Gardaí are investigating to determine the cause of the fire, which is not yet known. Locals said that Mr Deegan, who was originally from Dublin, was a devoted partner to Alice Hetherton (63). The couple had lived at French Park for the past 25 years having met in London and lived in Kerry for a number of years previously. Tragically, Ms Hetherton suffered a serious bleed on the brain and an aneurysm in 2023 and as a result was admitted to a nursing home in the area in July 2024. Mr Deegan had launched a campaign locally to adapt the house and bring her home and had set up a Go-fundme page in April of this year. Advertisement Locals say he had spoken on local radio about his campaign on a number of occasions. To date the fundraiser has raised almost €7,000. 'Terrible tragedy' Independent councillor for the area Micheál Frain, who is also the station officer at Ballaghaderreen Fire Brigade, described last night's incident as a 'tragic event', adding that news of the blaze has been difficult for the town of Frenchpark. He said his thoughts and prayers are with the man's family and the 'great community' of Frenchpark. Fellow local councillor Valerie Byrne said the news of the event has 'shocked everyone' and described the event as a 'terrible tragedy'. She also extended her condolences to the man's family. Independent Ireland MEP Ciarán Mullooly said last night that his 'heart goes out to all those affected by this horrific blaze'. A number of adjoining properties suffered structural and roof damage as a result of the fire. One neighbour, Bernard Finley, told Virgin Media News that the explosion 'rattled the whole village'. 'It basically broke the front part of my house nearly off,' he said, adding that debris from the deceased's home had struck the front of his home, despite being a good 60 metres away. 'It was crazy. That's all I can say,' Finley said. 'I'm still in shock over it. I haven't slept much last night thinking about the poor man.' Frenchpark parish priest Fr Michael Donnelly told Virgin Media News that he felt 'pure numbness, but yet, feeling lucky'. He said the green around the estate is always full of children and said it was fortunate that there had only been one fatality from the incident. With reporting by Sean Ryan, Muiris Ó Cearbhaill and Jane Moore Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Independent
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Independent
Commitment given to refurbish Roscommon Courthouse
Roscommon-Galway Fianna Fáil TD, Martin Daly, told Shannonside FM that Minister for Justice, Jim O'Callaghan TD, has committed to funding the Office of Public Works to refurbish the courthouse, which has been closed for over two years. Mr Daly said Mr O'Callaghan had committed to including the project in the National Development Plan. A review of the plan is expected to be completed by the end of July. Sittings of Roscommon District Court and Roscommon Circuit Court have taken place in Castlerea or at the former Fairyland Dance Hall, on the Racecourse Road in Roscommon town. Designed by Sir Richard Morrison and completed in 1828, the courthouse was gutted by a major fire in 1882 but was eventually restored. The building also served as the meeting place for Roscommon County Council before it moved to Áras an Contae in 2015. Due to its dilapidated state, sittings were moved from the courthouse to the former Fairyland Dance Hall in December. Refurbishing the venue to facilitate the move cost over €1.1 million. Judge James Faughnan has complained about the acoustics in the venue and called for a second courthouse to be made available.
The Irish Sun
23-05-2025
- Politics
- The Irish Sun
‘Always did what he felt was right' – Former councillor, 70s, dies after short illness as tributes pour for ‘true gent'
FORMER Leitrim County Councillor Des Guckian has died following a short illness. Guckian, who was aged in his late 70s, served as an independent councillor for more than a decade for the Originally from Annaduff, he stepped down from the council back in April due to Guckian's daughter, Irene Guckian-Rabbitte, co-opted onto his seat earlier this month following his resignation. Guckian began his career as a teacher at St Mel's College in He was first elected to Leitrim County READ MORE IN NEWS Sharing a statement to announce his tragic passing, Leitrim County Council said they were saddened to learn of his death yesterday. They said Guckian "performed his role as Councillor with distinction until his resignation due to illness in April of this year". Not only had he carried out work within Leitrim County Council, the fluent Irish speaker was also the author of several books. These included Deported: The Story of Jimmy Gralton, Effernagh, Co Leitrim, which told the story of the only Irishman ever deported from Ireland in 1933. MOST READ ON THE IRISH SUN Cathaoirleach of Leitrim County Council, Paddy O'Rourke remembered an intelligent man, who had success as a historian and an author. He told Shannonside FM that Guckian was a champion of people whom he saw that were left behind. He said: "On behalf of the members and the council, I'd like to extend our sympathy to his family, his extended family and those who he engaged with through his time in politics." 'A TRUE COUNCILLOR' He told Shannonside FM: "Des was fearless. He always did what he felt was right, regardless of other people's opinions, public opinion, council opinion. "He went after what he thought was right, and if that meant ruffling a few feathers, we've all read the articles, we know the arguments he got himself into, but he did that from a good place in his heart where he felt that he needed to make a stand and he was willing to fall out with a few people if it meant getting the right result and I admired him for that." One local resident said: "Des was a Councillor and a half, got things done, and kept you informed. "He never deserved the flack and opposition at every turn. A true Councillor. Rest in Peace." A former student said: "I had Des as a geography teacher in St Mel's. He left and indelible mark on all of his students. Condolences to his family, he was a committed man." While a friend said: "Sad to hear of the passing of Des, we shared a common interest in Trade Unions back in the 1980's. "He was a true gentleman and always had the good of all as his goal. Sincere sympathy to his family at this difficult time. May his gentle spirit rest easy." 1 Des Guckian passed away yesterday Credit:
Irish Independent
20-05-2025
- General
- Irish Independent
Fires in west Roscommon contained after thousands of euros worth of forestry destroyed
Hundreds of thousands worth of forestry was destroyed after fires broke out in the across the Granlahan, Gortaganny, Coney Island, Carrowbehy and Cloonfower areas over the weekend. Crews from Mayo and Roscommon attended the fires which raged throughout a five-kilometre radius since Saturday morning. Homes and livestock were evacuated as a precaution while all roads leading into Gortaganny were temporarily closed. Hundreds of acres of forestry and several acres of bog has been destroyed by the blaze, the cause of which has not been established. Derek McCabe, Chairman of the Irish Forest Owners, told Shannonside FM that some forestry owners would 'never recover' from the losses they sustained from the fire. Mr McCabe said that mature forestry was worth €10,000 an acre to landowners. 'Very few landowners could come back from that, given that they might have waited 25 or 30 years for that crop to mature. It's a huge hit,' he said. Elsewhere, fire crews battled a gorse fire that broke out near Rooskey at the Roscommon-Leitrim border. Smoke was visible throughout the Rooskey region and at least one rural road is closed. The fires that have swept through the region have been met with concern from elected representatives. Ballaghaderreen-based county councillor Micheál Frain said some fire crews had witnessed 'the biggest fire that they have seen in possibly generations'. The Independent councillor said that some areas were being left with no cover because of multiple brigades having to attend one incident. 'Very often in those cases, there will be very limited – in fact, no cover – for the event that someone's son, daughter, brother, sister, in need of the emergency services,' he said on Midwest Radio. Roscommon-Galway Senator Gareth Scahill has called for an urgent review of the fire brigade service areas boundaries to account for recent population increases and demographic changes in Roscommon. 'The fire service go to ambulance calls, road traffic accidents, they are doing the full service at the moment, it's not just fires that they are responding to,' Mr Scahill told the Irish Independent. 'We have a distinct lack of services in Roscommon, and every justification under the sun tells us that we need one in the west of the Roscommon area, but there still isn't,' added the Fine Gael senator. Sinn Féin TD for Roscommon-Galway, Claire Kerrane, reiterated her calls for Castlerea fire station to reopen in light of a recent house fire which required the attention of crews from Mayo and Roscommon. An external validation group review – due to begin in quarter 3 of 2025 - has been commissioned by the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management to conduct in-person evaluation visits within each fire authority.
