Daniel Grimes.

Family thank son’s friends

TRIBUTE ‘We have some fantastic memories’

The family of a young man, who tragically drowned, thanked his two best friends who tried so valiantly to rescue their son from a car that slipped into the Woodford River in an accident that shook the local community.

Daniel Grimes would have celebrated his 28th birthday later this month. He was just 26 when his body was pulled from the Woodford River after the Nissan Micra in which he was a passenger entered water near Ballyheady almost 18 months ago.

“Thank you for being such good friends to Daniel,” a tearful Karen Grimes said to Mark Gilroy and Oisín O’Hara, who appeared at the inquest into her son’s death via video-link.

The hearing was conducted by County Coroner Dr Mary Flanagan at Cavan Courthouse last Wednesday, May 19, where a verdict of ‘accidental’ death was recorded.

Her husband Paul also thanked Séamus, Paddy and Éoin Gilroy who were also involved in the rescue attempt, for “everything you’ve done for us”.

The weekend in September 2019 that Dan died started with the three school friends travelling to West Cavan. Their plan was to camp overnight near Bawnboy, cooking on an open fire, and engage in watersports the next day at Brackley Lake.

But what started as an adventure ended in unimaginable tragedy when their car entered the canal between Ballyconnell and Ballinamore.

Despite repeated attempts to save Dan from the car, which entered the water upside down, the Kildare native sadly passed away.

“We took turns going under the water to try rescue Daniel. I am in the water, Oisin kept trying to get the opening in the window but couldn’t fined it.”

Daniel, known as ‘Dan’ to his friends, of The Lodge, Kilteel, Rathmore, is survived by dad Paul, mum Karen, and younger sister Laura, extended family, colleagues, and many, many friends.

Such is the esteem in which Dan was held, a GoFundMe page was set up in the immediate aftermath to fly friends and family home from around the world. It raised almost three times its €5,000 target. What wasn’t spent was donated to local charities.

Dan’s funeral took place at Terenure College Chapel, followed by cremation at the Victorian Chapel Mt. Jerome.

“The great thing is we have some fantastic memories as a family together that we will cherish forever,” Dan’s mother Karen told those attending the inquest. “Just all those great memories, all the great adventures that we took time to do with Daniel, we’re so appreciative of that time. It was a great 26 years. We have great memories. Thank you.”

The Grimes family, who visited the scene near Ballyheady after the inquest concluded, shared a statement with The Anglo-Celt. The message was inspired by one of numerous notes taken by Dan during his life. He was meticulous in how he’d schedule his day. At 2pm in one ledger, he scribbled simply: ‘Play with Friends’.

“That struck a chord with a lot of people,” Mr Grimes’ dad Paul explained. “It reminds people of the importance to make time for others regardless of whatever else is going on in their lives. That was something [Daniel] always believed in.”

A keen outdoors man, who represented Ireland at kayaking as a youth at a World Championships in the Czech Republic, the statement honouring Dan was itself inscribed in the pocket of cycling jerseys specially commissioned by his friends.

Describing him as having ‘an innate feel for, and understanding of the basic elemental magic of mother earth and all her beauty’, the quote continues that throughout his life the late Dan ‘revelled in all she had to offer and was forever grateful for the beauty of the playground that she had created for his pleasure.

‘He never tired of cajoling others into accompanying him on his adventures.’

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‘Accidental’ verdict given in tragic river drowning inquest