Last Thursday afternoon, a 17-year-old lad named Reece Donohue tragically lost his life in a workplace accident in County Cavan. The unfortunate incident took place around 4.30pm at the Wilton waste recycling facility in Kifagh, near Ballyjamesduff. Reece was a proud resident of Kilnaleck.
Upon arrival of the Gardaí and the emergency services, young Reece was pronounced dead at the location. Following the necessary procedures, his body was transferred to the morgue at Cavan General Hospital for a thorough post-mortem examination. The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) has been informed about the incident and a case file is being created for the Coroner’s Court.
Wilton, in a public statement, conveyed deepest condolences to Reece’s bereaved family during this sorrowful period. As a gesture of reverence for the unfortunate young worker, the company has declared a temporary suspension of their operations.
Trevor Smith, a local Fine Gael councillor, reported that the widespread Kilnaleck community is in shock and deeply grieved by the tragic news. He remembered Reece as a ‘well-liked lad’ whose loss has left the Kilnaleck region and its neighbouring areas in disbelief.
Councillor Smith made a heartfelt pledge on behalf of the community to extend all possible support to Reece’s grieving family, to whom he further conveyed his deepest condolences. The locals voiced their memories of Reece, referring to him as a ‘wonderful young chap who was never troublesome’ and a ‘lad that any mother would take pride in calling her son.’
Reece, a former student at Ballyjamesduff’s St Clare’s College, is mourned by his parents Mary and Brian, and his siblings Jade, Amber and Niall. There have not been any funeral plans disclosed yet.