This article is from page 2 of the 2006-02-21 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 2 JPG
THE people of Crusheen are in a state of shock today after the body of 19-year-old Joseph Browne was discovered in Achill Island yesterday afternoon. The discovery followed an intensive two-day search involving members of the Achill and Westport coast guard, the Garda Water Unit, Joseph’s classmates from NUI, Galway, as well as his friends and family from Crusheen.
Joseph’s body was discovered in Keel Lake by a member of the Garda Water Unit around 3.30pm yesterday and was identified at the scene shortly afterwards. The body was taken to Mayo General Hospital, where a postmortem is due to be carried out.
Joseph had been in Achill as part of a traditional weekend away for the First year medical students from NUI, Galway. He left his classmates at approximately 9.30pm on Saturday evening to return to their lodgings in Keel Village, but was reported missing sometime after midnight.
One of his classmates managed to contact him on his mobile phone, but raised the alarm when Joseph’s phone suddenly went dead. A major search of the surrounding area took place on Sunday but revealed nothing.
The first trace was discovered at noon on Monday when the hat that Joseph had been wearing was discovered close to Keel Lake. A busload of people had made the journey from Crusheen on Monday to take part in the search.
Joseph is survived by his parents Michael and Riona and his older sisters Lara and Karen, who is also a medical student. MINISTER de Valera announced her retirement from politics at the next election last year and avoided reporters’ questions at the conference in Ennis at the weekend.
Councillors’ reasons for stating that Minister de Valera should resign were mixed in the poll.
Described as loving and quiet by Crusheen locals, Joseph was a talented musician and member of the local branch of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Eireann.
A pianist, Joseph also played the violin and concertina and was an exceptional student at Scoil Ioseph in Tulla before going on to NUI, Galway. One councillor said: “She has treated her own supporters shabbily since being re-elected,” while another said that “it is no great advantage to the party that she remains on”.
Another said that she should resign, but not now, while another said that she had undermined her own position by announcing her retirement.
One of the three that said she
Indeed, the President of NUI, Galway Iognáid Ó Muircheartaigh joined some 60 students from the college in Achill on Monday to help in the search efforts.
Dr Ó Muircheartaigh had presented Joseph with a special entrance scholarship in recognition of his high Leaving Certificate results just last week. should remain on said that “Minister de Valera is a very capable Minister and should remain”.
The council has never been a traditional power base for Minister de Valera as she has never served on the local authority where Junior Minister, Tony Killeen and Senator Brendan Daly would have loyal followers amongst the all-male Fianna
“Our prayers are with Joseph, and his family, and also with the members of the first year medical class, at this extremely difficult time,” said Dr Ó Muircheartaigh. Fáil group.
A spokeswoman for Minister de Valera declined to comment on the findings of the poll, pointing out that the Minister de Valera already said last Friday that she had a job of work to do and would not be distracted by the media in carrying out her job.