A retired Church of England priest lost his life in Achill last Sunday night after his car was caught in a flash flood on the island. Rev Dr Roger Grainger (81 ) was driving towards his home in Dugort when his car was hit by a flash flood at 10pm on Sunday night. Despite efforts by locals to save the former priest and actor, who had made appearances in a number of television shows, they were unable to save him after his car was swept into a drain, submerging it.
Bishop Patrick Rooke said this week: "How sad I was to hear of the sudden death of the Rev Roger Grainger in most tragic circumstances. Rev Grainger came to live in the west of Ireland just over a year ago and had entered fully into the life of the local community on Achill and in Westport where he also worshipped. His passing will be sorely felt by the small Church of Ireland community at St Thomas Church in Dugort. I should like to express my deepest sympathy to Roger’s family in England and to assure them of our thoughts and prayers at this time. Indeed, I have received a message today from Archbishop Michael Neary offering his sympathy to me, to the family and to the Church of Ireland people in my diocese. For this we are most grateful."
Rev Grainger and his late wife, Doreen, had been regular visitors to Achill over a number of years. Following his wife's death two years ago he decided to move to the west of Ireland, and had only recently bought a house in Dugort.
