People in Tulla have been left devastated by the tragic death of a young civil engineer, according to a
local councillor.
Councillor Joe Cooney said the death of Cathal Torpey (33) following a traffic accident in Cork had rocked
communities in East Clare.
The Torpey family is very well known from its involvement in GAA and local groups. His uncle, Brian
Torpey, was principal of Tulla National School before he retired.
“It is a terrible blow for Tulla and East Clare to see a young man die in the prime of his life. This is
a very sad, tragic death,” he said.
Tulla GAA Club has extended it deepest sympathy to Cathal’s mother, Margaret; sister, Oonagh; girlfriend,
Kate, his family and friends.
Before leaving for New Zealand in 2007, Cathal was ever-present on Tulla hurling teams. In fact, he
played at wing-forward on the Tulla team that won the Minor A Hurling Championship in 2000.
Mr Torpey had attended a wedding at Castlemartyr Resort Hotel in East Cork and was walking back to the bed
and breakfast where he was staying after failing to get a taxi.
According to gardaн, he was struck by a car travelling on the main Cork to Waterford road at about 5.15am.
The driver of the car, a woman in her 20s, contacted the emergency services and Mr Torpey was taken by
ambulance to Cork University Hospital, where he later died.
The driver of the car was uninjured but was treated for shock at the scene. Gardaн closed off the road to
allow a forensic crash investigator to examine the scene.
Gardaн have appealed to anyone who may have travelled on the road at about 5am or witnessed the incident
to contact them at Midleton Garda Station on 021 4621550.
Mr Torpey was the son of Margaret Houlihan and the late Martin Torpey. His remains reposed at O’Halloran’s
Funeral Home, Tulla on Wednesday evening. Removal from his house was on Thursday for 12 noon funeral mass in Ss Peter and Paul’s Church, Tulla.
Cremation took place in Newland’s Cross Crematorium, Dublin on Friday at 2pm. Donations in lieu of
flowers can be sent to Goal’s earthquake relief in Nepal.
Dan Danaher
A native of Ennis, Colin McGann has been editor of The Clare Champion since August 2020. Former editor of The Clare People, he is a journalism and communications graduate of Dublin Institute of Technology.