Father of six killed after car plunges into canal near home

yinka ogunlami

December 28, 2015 5:14 PM

The musician was on his way home from a local pub, The Pull Inn Pub, where he went to play for the St Stephen’s night gig when the accident occurred in the early hours of the day.

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Paddy Buckley was on his way back from playing a gig on the Irish celebration of St Stephen's Day. He however did not make it there as his vehicle was found overturned less than a kilometre from his home in the village of Pollagh, Co Offaly, at around midday yesterday.

The 38-year-old was taken to the Midland Regional Hospital in Tullamore, where he was pronounced dead.

The musician was married to his childhood sweetheart Margaret and the pair had a total of six children together - three daughters and three sons.

His family and friends, devastated, wrote touching messages to him online last night.

One posted: “This is so hard to believe. I’m so sorry for his wife, kids and his family. Just tragic.”

RIP Paddy Buckley... A true gentleman and friend. I can’t believe this awful news... Condolences to your wife and family,”posted another.

Read: Man on the run after killing live-in-lover on Xmas day in Lagos

Eamon Dooley, Fianna Fail councillor paid tribute to Mr. Buckley last night. Speaking to the Irish Mirror, he said:

“Paddy was a young man, with six kids, ranging from about 18-years-old downwards. He was very popular and very into music, that’s where he would have been coming from. He was so close to home.

“The roads were particularly bad. They were flooded and they would have been frosty in parts. He was a well-known man from a big family. He often played in pubs around the area with his sister Martina Buckley Daly. They would have done mostly country music. It’s a terrible tragedy and particularly at this time of the year”

A source from the Pull Inn where the deceased was returning from yesterday said the tight-knit community in Pollagh was in shock.

“Paddy would play here about once a month, maybe more, and he would often start singsongs.

“He was an absolute gent. He did all sorts of music. He sang in the local choir and would play at funerals with his sister Martina.

“We’re all in shock, it’s just a tragedy," she said in conclusion.

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