A candlelight vigil is to take place at a Limerick bridge where two men drowned after becoming trapped in a safety cage.
The funeral of victim Bryan Whelan (29) will take place at noon today in his native Bridgetown in Co Clare.
His sister-in-law Maura Whelan yesterday described the bricklayer as a “gentleman” who had taken great pride in his work, repairing bridges across Ireland and Britain.
Mr Whelan died alongside father-of-two TJ O’Herlihy (36), from Castleisland in Co Kerry, while they were carrying out repair work on Thomond Bridge in Limerick city on Saturday afternoon.
The tragedy happened when a support cage on which the men were working collapsed and plunged into the River Shannon, trapping them underwater.
A third man, Paul Murphy (36) from Askeaton in Co Limerick, managed to release a harness that was tying him to the cage and swim to shore where he raised the alarm.
The dead men’s remains were later recovered by fire fighters and a marine rescue and recovery team.
It is understood that Mr O’Herlihy, who was a stonemason, had just begun work on the project on the day that he died.
His partner Tessa, and the couple’s young children, Conor and Katie, had been planning to return to Ireland from Sweden to join the father after he got work.
His funeral takes place at Castleisland Parish Church on Friday.
Shocked residents in Limerick plan to hold a candlelight vigil for the two victims on Thomond Bridge at 8.30pm on Saturday.
Members of the public are being urged to attend the event to show their support for the men’s families.
Metropolitan Mayor of Limerick Jerry O’Dea said the event would allow people to “show great solidarity” for those affected by the drownings.
Askeaton-based company Irish Bridge, which had been contracted by Limerick City and County Council to conduct the repairs, has described the accident as “heartbreaking”.
The firm said it would “cooperate fully” with all the authorities conducting investigations into the workplace deaths.
Meanwhile, Anti Austerity Alliance councillor Cian Prendiville last night called for a “full, frank and independent inquiry” to establish how the accident happened, and what could be done to ensure it never happened again.
