Father-of-three Jay is to be laid to rest
A YOUNG father-of-three from Raheen – who suffered a knife wound in Waterford in the early hours of Saturday morning – will be laid to rest today (Tuesday).
James (Jay) Banville, 28, of Raheenakennedy, Raheen, Clonroche, was out socialising in Waterford city on Friday night. At around 3.20 a.m. gardaí were alerted by a member of the public to a man having been seriously injured on New Street in the city following an altercation. It is undersood Mr Banville suffered a knife wound in the stomach during the row which occurred just around the corner from John Street, which leads onto the main thoroughfare through Waterford City centre. Another man, Conor Hogan, 19, from Taghmon, was also injured, suffering an injury to his side.
He was taken to University Hospital Waterford from where he released later that day.
Mr Banville was rushed from the scene to University Hospital Waterford where he was pronounced dead.
A 35-year-old man was arrested nearby at John’s Road Lane and was detained and questioned at Waterford Garda Station over the weekend. A knife was found near the scene by gardaí.
The New Street area was preserved for a technical examination and the State Pathologist attended the scene.
Mr Banville is survived by his parents Mary and Seamus, stepfather Tom McDoanld; partner Kelly Leonard; children, Carly, Cian and Kelsey, who was born in late August; brothers Willie and Aidan; sisters, Breda, Siobhan, Marie, Liz and Nicole; his family relatives and friends.
A family member described Jay as a brilliant father, but declined to talk about him in more detail.
Mr Banville reposed at Tom McDonald’s residence in Raheenakennedy over the past two days and his removal takes place today (Tuesday) to John Paul’s Church, Raheen for Funeral Mass at 11 a.m., with burial afterwards in the adjoining cemetery.
Gardaí are appealing to witnesses who may have been in the New Street and John Street area of Waterford between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. on Saturday to contact them.
A Garda spokespeson said: ‘ The investgation is ongoing and only one person has been charged. We are appealing for information. In particular we are appealing to two young women who were in Johns Lane at the Park Lane Apartments between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m.’
Anyone with information is asked to contact the incident room at Waterford at 051 305300, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666111 or any garda station.
The incident happened just hours into a ‘Purple Flag’ weekend aimed at promoting the vibrancy of the city and combating crime rates was launched.
On Thursday a man in his 40s was injured in a stabbing incident that happened on O’Connell Street, just a few hundred metres from where Mr Banville was found.