Two communities in west and north Mayo were left reeling this week after the tragic deaths of two men in their communities.
In Ballina the town was shocked to hear of the news of the death of 23-year-old Niall Flynn from Cloonaphnia. The young man was killed following a single vehicle collision some time on Tuesday night at Cloonbrowne, Ballina, and he was found at 8am on Wednesday. Mr Flynn’s remains reposed at Hieny’s Funeral Home, Crossmolina, Thursday evening before they were removed to the Church of the Assumption, Ardagh, where his requiem funeral mass will take place this morning (Friday ), with the funeral proceeding to Leigue Cemetery for burial afterwards.
Gardaí in Ballina are carrying out a full investigation into the crash and have asked anyone who may have witnessed anything in relation to it to contact the station in Ballina on 096 20560.
The village of Newport were left in shock after the death of 69-year-old Denis Cartron of Seaview Road following a fire at his home in the village. Mr Cartron, who lived alone in a detached home, was killed when a fire broke out in his home on Wednesday morning. The alarm was raised by a neighbour who spotted flames at the house just before 9am. Two units of the Mayo fire brigade were dispatched to the scene, but they were unable to save Mr Carton’s life. There was extensive damage caused to the house. While no exact cause of the fire has been determined as of yet, Gardaí do not believe that there is anything suspicious about the fire. Mr Cartron’s body was removed to Mayo General Hospital where a post mortem was due to be carried out today.
Fire service urges people to check their chimneys before winter
With winter coming and people starting to light fires in their homes for the first time in a number of months, the Mayo Fire Service have urged that people check out their fireplaces in their homes to ensure that they are safe. “It’s very important that people make sure that their chimneys are clear before they start lighting fires again ahead of the winter,” a spokesperson for the Mayo Fire Service told the Mayo Advertiser this week. “A simple thing like taking a look up the chimney to see if it’s clear or running a chimney rod up it to check. Something as simple as a bird’s nest can block the chimney and cause you problems.”
He also pointed out that a fire alarm can save lives in the case of a fire. “Anyone who doesn’t have a fire alarm in their house is really dicing with death,” he warned. “If you don’t have a working one a fire can start and you won’t know it before you or your family is dead. It’s also a good idea for any family to have a fire plan in the house, especially if they have young children, it will make sure that the children know what to do or where to go if a fire breaks out in the house. If parents run a drill a couple of times with the children they’ll pick up straight away what they should do.”
The message ahead of the winter is if in doubt get it checked out, according to the spokesperson. “If you have any doubts about the chimney get it cleaned by a chimney cleaner and make sure that you are prepared for winter and always have a fireguard in the house and try and let the fire burn down at night before you leave it.”
