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A man killed in an accident last week had survived a separate serious car crash that left him in a coma.

Dara Gately (23) from Castlecoote, Co Roscommon, died in a single-vehicle accident in the early hours of Tuesday morning last.

He was pronounced dead at the scene in Ballybride on the Roscommon to Castlecoote road at around 3.15am.

The stunned community of Castlecoote was Wednesday trying to come to terms with the death of the popular young man.

Mr Gately was involved in another serious accident just over two years ago at Donamon, Roscommon, in which he was left in a coma.

"He had a slip on the road that night because it was icy, it was like glass," explained local councilor Domnick Connolly.

"He was badly injured and in a coma for about three weeks. He was in Galway hospital for a long time but he had since been back to full health."

Mr Connolly said Mr Gately, who worked in his father's electrical business, was known in the area as a lovely young man.

"He was a lovely, quiet fellow and very obliging. Everyone loved him."
(Source: Irish Independent)

Sligo

A driver with previous convictions who left the scene after crashing into barriers at Maugherboy and said to have narrowly missed two young children walking on a footpath was sentenced to four months imprisonment and banned for seven years by Judge Kevin Kilrane at Sligo Court.

Michael Duignam, Carrowkeel, Ballisodare, told an investigating Garda that he had been drinking prior to the incident and had "panicked".

The court heard that Duignam, who did not appear and was not represented, had a previous conviction and fines for dangerous driving and failing to stop in 2003 and another for failing to stop for which he was disqualified for a year in February, 2004.

At the outset, Inspector Sean Mcginty said the matter had been put back on several occasions as Garda Michael O'shea endeavored to make contact with Duignam.

Duignam had telephoned the Garda on the morning of the court to state that he had only found out about the case being the night before and said he would not be present.
(Source: The Sligo Champion)

Tipperary

Templemore town lake is now off-limits to people in cars because of drivers doing figure eights on the grass, the local town council was told last Monday night.

Cllr Maura Byrne had asked why fencing had been put around parts of the lake that used to be open for people to drive down to. She said a few people were not happy about the fencing.

She was told by Cllr Mick Connell that the fencing had not been put in place to keep people out but because the facility was being abused by those who had no respect for it.

“Figures eights were being left on the ground. The park is not appreciated by their generation, but by the older generation. The fencing had to come,” he said.
(Source: Tipperary Star)

Tyrone

A GAA game between Dromid Pearses and Drrytresk that spilled over into an ugly brawl was marred by dirty tricks from the very start, club officials said last week.

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Nster.com