Huge sadness at death of well-known Wexford motorcyclist Aidan
WEXFORD has been shocked and saddened by the tragic death of well-known Tagoat man Aidan Browne in a motorcycle accident in County Westmeath on Sunday morning.
Aidan (40) of Hillcastle, a director of Tagoat Steam Rally, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash at which occurred when his motorbike hit a pole as he was travelling at Drumcree, Collinstown, a short distance ahead of his brother Noel, a resident of Mullingar, who was the first to happen on the scene. He and Noel had attended a motorbike rally in Westmeath on Saturday evening.
There were no other vehicles involved in the collision which was investigated by gardaí. The body of the Wexfordman was brought to the Midlands Regional Hospital and a post-mortem examination was carried out on Monday.
The father of three young children was due to attend the First Holy Communion of his eight-year old son Ruari in Tagoat this coming Saturday. His eldest son Sean is 10 years old and his daughter Aoibheen is four.
Aidan is also survived by his beloved wife Aedin; his parents Lar and Jenny; his brother Noel; his sister Laura who was due to travel this week from her home in Australia for the funeral, and by his aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces, cousins and extended family and many friends.
Aidan was a director along with his cousin Paul of Tagoat Steam Rally, a ma- jor annual event founded by the Browne family which has raised many thousands of Euro over the years for charities including Tagoat Day Care Centre for the elderly of south Wexford, a service which is run by his mother Jenny and her sister-inlaw Bridget.
Aidan had taken over the running of the business established 40 years ago by his father, Larry Browne Fire Protection Company, which supplies fire safety equipment to the commercial and domestic market including, hotels, schools, factories, offices and large events such as festivals including the Irish Open.
Relatives, friends and neighbours have been offering their support and sympathy to the Browne family in the wake of the tragedy which has left the community of Tagoat in deep shock.
Motorcycling competitor Aidan was a member of the Irish Sidecar and Motorcycle Racing Supporters Club which paid tribute to him this week, describing him as ‘a stalwart of Irish Sidecar racing who started passengering 15 years ago and quickly showed that he was a natural to the chair’.
After racing with many top drivers in Ireland and the UK, Aidan took to the roads, competing in TT races with Mick Donavan, Pa Gill and Terry O’Neill and this year he and Mick Donavan were looking forward to competing in the Pikes Peak Hillclimb in the USA in June.
‘Away from the chairs Aidan had a buzz about him that was truly infectious’, said a club spokesperson, adding that the Wexfordman always offered help and advice to anyone who needed it.
‘You will be missed by us all but none more so than your family whom you adored. Our thoughts and prayers are with them at this time’, he said.
Aidan could turn his hands to any mechanical or metalwork task and many people sought his help when they needed things fixed or installed. He had recently joined Wexford Civil Defence where he was undergoing first aid and rescue training.
Aidan will be reposing at his parents’ residence in Hillcastle, Tagoat on Wednesday from 2pm to 8pm. Funeral Mass will take place on Thursday at 12 noon in St. Mary’s Church, Tagoat, followed by burial in the New Cemetery, Tagoat.