The National Council for the Blind Ireland has paid tribute to a West Clare woman who died after she was hit by a train in Dublin on Thursday.
Patricia Brennan, who is orginally from Cappagh in Kilrush, was waiting on the platform at Raheny DART station when she fell into the path of a train at about 1.45pm.
Ms Brennan lived locally and was waiting for a northbound DART service when she fell onto the track as the 1.30pm train from Pearse to Drogheda was approaching. This service does not stop at Raheny and while the driver applied the emergency brake, the train did not stop on time and hit the 57-year-old visually impaired woman. Emergency services were called and she was taken to nearby Beaumont Hospital but died later that day.
Elaine Howley, CEO of NCBI services extended sympathy to Ms Brennan’s family and to all her friends in the Iona Day Activity Centre where she had been taking computer classes and working out in the gym up to this week.
“Patricia had many friends the walking group which she enjoyed greatly and in the National league of the Blind where she took part in many social activities. She particularly enjoyed quizzes and in more recent times yoga,” she said.
“Patricia will be sadly missed and always remembered,” Ms Howley continued.
Iarnród Éireann also expressed its sympathies to Ms Brennan’s family and friends for their tragic loss.
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.