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TRIBUTES HAVE BEEN paid to a noted traditional musician who died after falling off a cliff in Co Clare yesterday afternoon.
The alarm was raised at around 3.15pm on Wednesday when emergency services received a report that a person had fallen into the sea from a cliff at Dunlicky, southwest of Kilkee.
It is understood the victim was fishing with another man at the time. A passerby who witnessed the incident called the emergency services.
The victim has been named locally as Darren Richmond (58), who was a native of Lancaster in England but had been living in Ennis for a number of years.
He was a singer, musician and song collector and was well-known on the traditional music circuit.
Locals described the deceased as “a lovely man”.
Paying tribute, the Yellow Submarine Pub in Corofin in County Clare, a venue where Mr Richmond often performed, said: “Darren was a regular at the Sunday session with his bodhrán and his wonderful songs. It’s a ray of the sun that has gone.”
Another friend said: “Shocking news, Darren was a tremendous singer and song collector. May his rest be peaceful.”
Local TD Violet Ann Wynn wrote on social media: “So incredibly sad to read this, may he rest in peace.”
A Garda spokesperson confirmed: “Gardaí and emergency services attended an incident at Kilkee Cliff Walk in Co. Clare this afternoon. A man aged in his 50s was removed from the water by the Coast Guard. He was pronounced deceased at the scene. His body has been removed to University Hospital Kerry.”
It is understood that the rescue boat was delayed from launching by a number of people swimming close to the slipway.
Rescue 115 carried out a search of the area and soon located the man and recovered him from the water.
Meanwhile, a second man, believed to have climbed down the rocks to help the casualty, was found stranded on a cliff edge and unable to climb back to safety. He was spotted by the helicopter crew who alerted ground teams. An operation was then mounted to rescue him.
Kilkee Coast Guard volunteers managed to get a rope down to the man and secured him while additional resources were requested to attend.
The man is not believed to have been seriously injured.
The Doolin and Ballybunion units of the Coast Guard were also tasked but stood down en route when it was confirmed that man had been successfully rescued.
Additional reporting by Pat Flynn
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Prime Culchie Telly
Culchies and Skangers, week in, week out!
@⚡ Seánie ⚡:
Beats Fair City
@Mark O’sullivan: sure if you are not a Dublin skanger you are a culchie, so who else could be on it?
@Tweety McTweeter: Ah come on…… Even the angelus beats fair city……..
The lottery is a tax on the poor….Many more poor people buy tickets than rich ones….Also when it was set up we were promised by government then 50% of the lottery money would go.to good causes….Now that it is sold to British company Camelot how much goes to good causes…I think it is only 12% as far as I know….
@John003: Is it not a Canadian fund?
@Peter: Yes correct Ontario teachers pension fund who also own Camelot which owns British lottery….Smart investors Ontario teachers….
That wheel is rigged.I don’t care what anyone says.I’ve seen it several times where the wheel was practically stopped and the ball suddenly bounces out of a slot with a higher amount into a slot with a lower amount.Either that or RTÉ have a ghost in the studio.
@Padraig: 9 times out of 10 the ball will fall between two higher numbers Amazing how it happens week after week
Remember years ago they used to add another top slot each week to the wheel? They should do that again.
Minimum on wheel should be 50K, twenty is very mean in fairness, or else keep the 20K but if it lands on that you get a second go… it’s not like everyone gets to spin it…
Wouldn’t mind but the show is recorded on a Friday
@hugh sure: Is it not a Saturday morning now?
@hugh sure: Saturday at 2pm.
Haven’t watched this in years dont even buy lottery tickets since the lottery was sold.
Driving the indoctrinated tradition of gambling and the hope of unattainable better possibilities.
Willy Wonka and the Golden ticket is the only worse (but I still love it) programming for a culture of gambling addiction
I imagine rich people dont play the lotto because 1. They dont need the few bob and 2. They probably have a casino habit like pastime. I buy a winning streak ticket almost every week, I also play the lotto on a family sydicate for €20 a month. I dont leave meself broke to play it. I do it cause I enjoy playing the lotto. Don’t see any of it as a fix its a game of playing with the odds. What’s the big deal if people play lotto or winning streak? I love hearing of lotto winners, scratch card winners, raffle winners… I was lucky enough to have a win from it before. The lotto also give back to charities and the likes its not going into Paddy Power or Ladbrokes accounts. Live and let live and all that…
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