Sean ‘had so much still to give’

Warm tributes have been paid to barrister, and former Dundalk Town councillor, Sean Bellew, who died suddenly at his home last week, aged just 41.

Sean’s funeral takes place this ( Wednesday) morning at St Joesph’s Redemptorist Church. He is survived by his father, Jimmy, a well respected printer, mum Nuala (nee McArdle), brothers Colm and Gearoid and sister, Maire.

A former member of Fianna Fail, Sean followed his uncle, Tom Bellew, into politics and secured a seat for the party on Dundalk Town Council from 2009 to 2014. He ran in the party’s contest to select a candidate for the general election in 2011 and left the party in 2014, contesting Dundalk South as an independent in the local elections.

He had a huge intellect and, after studying at the CBS primary and secondary school in Dundalk, he studied law at UCD before he became a barrister in 1999. At the time of his death, Sean, from Claret Rock, Faughart, was working with migrants on their legal issues and had lectured in law at DkIT for eight years up to 2008.

Louth TD Declan Breathnach was among those who paid tribute to Sean and said: ‘My first thoughts must go out to his parents Jimmy and Nuala, to his siblings and wider family’.

‘Sean’s passion for Dundalk and Louth was evident in everything he did. He was very aware of the impact of any decision made locally on people’s quality of life.

‘At 41 years of age, this is a terrible loss of a good mind and person’. Cllr. Conor Keelan also paid tribute to his former colleague and said that Sean had ‘such a great mind and he had still much to contribute in so many different fields’.

Sean was also well known in Oriel Park where he was an avid Dundalk FC supporter, travelling to a number of the team’s away games in this season’s Europa League.

In a statement, Dundalk FC said: ‘Everybody at Dundalk FC is deeply saddened by the sudden death of Sean. He was an avid Dundalk supporter who had travelled across Europe to support the team and was planning to make the trip to Israel for the final match with Maccabi Tel Aviv.

‘Sean was a life-long fan of Dundalk FC and played a role in our community in his time as a councillor and in DKIT.

‘ The Bellew family has a long-standing connection with the club and we send our deepest sympathy and support to everybody in his family and all his friends’.

Sean’s funeral Mass takes place at St Joseph’s Redemptorist Church at 11am. The cortege will proceed on foot to St Patrick’s Cemetery for burial.