West Waterford was rocked by two tragedies in the one day on Wednesday last which saw two local men lose their lives.

Well known Lismore man, Johnny Flynn died shortly before 9am on Wednesday morning as he was driving his van on the Lismore to Cappoquin road. His vehicle travelled some distance and struck a wall before coming to a stop. A post mortem was carried out in Waterford Regional Hospital. The results are awaited to determine cause of death.

A member of a well known Lismore family, the deceased, who lived at Bothar Mochuda in Lismore, was in his early ’50s. Known as a hard working individual, he’d worked with O’Dowd’s Fruit and Veg for a time before becoming involved in the building trade. He was heavily involved in the town’s camogie club. His remains were removed on Saturday morning to St Carthage’s Church in Lismore with burial afterwards in St Carthage’s Cemetery. There was a huge turnout at his funeral, with a guard of honour provided by members of the camogie club.

At around 5.30 on Wednesday evening, Ballyduff man Chris Heise was working on a van in the garage at his home in Curraghanave when he received fatal injuries. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The 40-year-old father of two was originally from the UK.  He moved to Ballyduff with his wife Breda, who comes from the well known local Feeney family, around ten years. ago. He is survived by Breda and their two children Ryan and Amy, his sister Jill and her partner Mark, nieces and nephew, father and mother-in-law Paddy-Jim and Eileen Feeney and other relatives. He was buried in St Michael’s cemetery, Ballyduff after funeral Mass in the church there on Sunday morning.

The funeral was one of the largest the area has seen as locals joined with the family and relatives to pay their respects to the popular man who’d made his home in Ballyduff. His lifelong interest in cars and motorcycles was reflected in his funeral with West Waterford Autograss Club providing a guard of honour and a convoy of motorcycles led the funeral cortege to the cemetery.