Man killed after he accidentally impales himself climbing gate
A MAN who is believed to have died after being impaled while climbing over a gate had been celebrating getting a new job hours earlier.
Mick Burke (35), from Dalkey Co Dublin, was killed after he suffered a number of puncture wounds to his body.
His body was found in a private lane way leading up to an apartment block just off Convent Road in Dalkey, about 8.30am yesterday.
Tragically Mr Burke had been celebrating after securing a new job.
A friend told the Irish Independent: “His family are inconsolable. Mick was a gentleman. He lived with his family and though he did work in SuperValu, he was a qualified electrician and he was celebrating in Dalkey because he’d got a new job in his chosen field.
“Mick was delighted about his new job and he was hopeful for the future.”
A Garda forensics team was on the scene yesterday, with a number of locals gathering around the area in shock at the news.
The body was still at the scene in the afternoon, with the gate also cordoned off.
A close friend of the man – who grew up and went to school with him – stood at the Garda cordon and described his pal as a “lovely fella”.
Another local said he’d “always stop to say ‘hello’”.
Another man who lived nearby said Mr Burke was very well known and well liked in the area.
He said Mr Burke and his family had grown up in Dalkey, describing him as a “good old skin”. “Everybody knows everybody in Dalkey,” he said.
The man said there was initial fear locally that something sinister had happened when they saw the scene.
“People thought there had been a shooting or something,” he said.
“He has lived in the village since he was a baby. There’s a lot of shock and a lot of lads live here around the same age as him.
“He was just a nice, unassuming fella. He was very well liked in the village, everybody knew him, he was a good old skin.
“I saw him all the time, I only saw him last week, actually.
“I wouldn’t have known him that well, but we’d always say hello to each other.”
Gardaí last night confirmed they are not treating the death as suspicious. A spokesperson said: “Gardaí are no longer treating as suspicious the death of a man found this morning in Dalkey. Preliminary results of a post-mortem examination have been furnished to investigating gardaí and foul play has now been ruled out. A file will be prepared for the coroner.”