Joseph Deacy died as a result of severe head injuries in August of 2017.
Mayo County Council has confirmed its decision to take down memorials that had been erected in honour of the late Joseph Deacy.
21-year-old Deacy, pictured above right, was discovered with severe head injuries outside a house at Gortnasillagh, Swinford on Saturday 12 August 2017.
He was later taken to Beaumont Hospital in Dublin where he died as a result of his injuries.
Though an arrest was made last summer in connection with Deacy’s death, a man in his 20s was later released without charge.
One year on from his passing, a memorial to Deacy on the N5 outside Bohola in Mayo appeared to have been vandalised, with wreaths and flowers laid in his memory removed and scattered.
Two new memorials were put in place before Christmas, one on the N5 and the other on the Kinnaffe Road.
As reported by Midwest Radio on Thursday, Mayo County Council intends to remove roadside monuments to Deacy’s memory due to safety and efficiency interests, with some motorists said to be distracted by the visual of the memorials while driving.
In a statement, the council noted that while it respects the need for people to erect roadside memorials, it must provide “a safe and efficient road network for all road users” with the safety of road users of paramount concern.
It was also stated that the subject of road memorials will be an item on the agenda for discussion at the next meeting of the council’s road and transport special policy committee.
A spokesperson for Mayo County Council told JOE that they were in discussions with the Deacy family, who are reportedly “very upset” with the council’s decision to remove the memorials.
Deacy’s case was featured on RTÉ’s Crimecall in January of 2018:
Clip via RTÉ
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