Shock as Stradbally man drowns in Cork

THERE is deep shock in the community of Castlegregory following the tragic drowning of a young local man in Cork in the early hours of Sunday.

The body of Stradbally native Ciaran Fitzgerald was discovered by rowers on the River Lee in the heart of Cork City on Sunday morning.

Mr Fitzgerald, who was aged in his early 30s is understood to have died after accidentally falling into the River Lee – between 2am and 9am – after a night out.

Mr Fitzgerald was an employee of the Food Chemistry and Technology Department of Teagasc’s Moorepark complex in Fermoy.

Gardaí from the Blackrock and Angelsea stations in the city directed the recovery operation on Sunday and are treating the incident as an accident, a spokesperson told The Kerryman.

Shock is keenly felt in Castlegregory and Stradbally where neighbours are rallying to the side of his family – his wife Eveleen Murphy from Fossa, parents Thomas and Margaret and brother Christopher.

A spokesperson for Teagasc said Mr Fitzgerald’s colleagues in Moorepark were ‘deeply saddened’ by the loss of a ‘valued member’ of the centre, where he had worked since 2015.

“We in Teagasc are deeply saddened at the sudden passing of our dear colleague Ciaran,” they told The Kerryman.

“He will be sadly missed. He was a valued member of the Food Chemistry and Technology Department in Teagasc Moorepark, Fermoy. Our sympathies are with his family at this sad time. May he rest in peace.”

Mr Fitzgerald had been working in the Moorepark food research division since November of 2015, having completed his PhD at the Teagasc Food Research centre in Ashtown, Dublin, earlier in his career.

His remains were to repose at Lynch’s Funeral Home in Castlegregory this evening (Wednesday) between 5.30pm and 8.30pm followed by Requiem Mass at St Mary’s Church, Castlegregory at 12 noon on Thursday.