The memorial to the late Joe Deacy on the N5

Grieving Deacy family to apply for retention of roadside memorials

A DEMAND by Mayo County Council that roadside memorials to a 21-year-old man who was murdered almost two years ago be immediately removed has been criticised by the victim's family as “heartbreaking” and “insensitive."

The council claim that the memorials to Joe Deacy on the N5 near Swinford and at KInaffe Road, pose “a visual distraction to passing motorists."

However, the Deacy family point out that the memorials are modest in size and that numerous other similar monuments throughout the Republic are being allowed remain in situ by the local relevant authority.

Joe Deacy from St Alban's, Hertfordshire in the United Kingdom was discovered with head injuries outside a house at Gortnasillagh, Swinford on Saturday, August 12, 2017.

He later passed away in hospital and gardai subsequently launched a murder investigation.

Although a number of people have been questioned nobody has ever been charged in connection with the murder.

Last summer, a floral memorial to Mr. Deacy, a talented GAA footballer, was vandalised.

At Christmas, the grieving Deacy family, who are regular visitors to Mayo, erected a more permanent memorial but they have now been informed that the structure should be removed as it does not have planning permission.

Adrian Deacy, father of Joe Deacy, said this morning that the demand by the county council has added further pain to his family's continuing grief.

Mr. Deacy said in a statement: “We are aware that planning permission was not sought, prior to the memorial being erected, and for that we apologise, but we do not believe that we are alone in this oversight.

“We also believe that the memorial on the N5 became a source of huge comfort to Joe's many relations and friends who live in the vicinity of Bohola.

“This became a place where they could visit and pay their respects, as well as to try and come to terms with the fact that Joe's murderer(s) have still not been brought to justice.

"From my own personal, and selfish point of view, I firmly believe that the people who perpetrated this heinous crime, plus the people that are possibly still aiding them by their silence, may also be from Mayo.

“It has been 18 months since my son was put down in a manner not befitting an animal, let alone a human being.

"So the least we would like to do now is to allow all of the people that knew and loved Joe, plus the many others, from all over Mayo, that have expressed their kindness and sympathy to our family, to be allowed to continue to pay their respects in this manner.”

The Deacy family say the 'visual distraction' claim by the council is spurious as “the memorial is sited at ground level and is barely visible from passing cars."

Mayo County Council, in a statement, has confirmed that they have asked that the memorial be removed.

“We respect the desire of grieving families to erect such monuments to loved ones but the safety of all road users is a top priority.”

Michael Kilcoyne, a member of Mayo County Council, has supported the Deacy family.

He said: “The demand that the memorial, which consisted of a small white cross with a wooden surround, is grossly insensitive. It was part of the family's healing process.”

The issue of roadside memorials generally will be on the agenda for discussion at the next meeting of the council's Road & Transport strategic policy committee.

Meanwhile, the Deacy family have indicated that they are to apply to Mayo County Council for retention of the memorials.

A number of other local public representatives, including Councillor Annie May Reape (FF), have indicated they will support the family in their campaign to retain the memorials.