1. 12 THE IRISH DAILY STAR, Friday February 13 2015
FOUR Lithuanian nation-
als, who are charged with
the robbery of almost €1.1
million worth of jewellery
from a Galway city jewel-
lery shop, have been
remanded in custody to
appear before Harristown
District Court today.
The men are charged
with the robbery of jewel-
lery and watches from
Hartmann’s Jeweller’s,
Galway on February 11.
Tributes
as teen
passes
away
TRAGEDY: Teen Oisin
€1M jewel
heist rap
A TEENAGE boy has
died after he was
grievously injured
during a school play-
ground incident.
Oisin McGrath (13)
was a pupil at St
Michael’s College in
Enniskillen, Co
Fermanagh, and was
hurt while playing
football during his
lunch break on
Monday afternoon.
A 17-year-old boy
was arrested and
later bailed pending
further police
inquiries into what
happened.
First Minister Peter
Robinson tweeted:
“Young Oisin
McGrath’s death is
heartbreaking.
“I’ll be praying for
his family and all
those devastated by
this sad news
tonight.”
Victim
Fr Seamus Quinn
had been at the
victim’s bedside.
He said: “People
were shocked when
they heard that there
were no signs of life
and the support
would be gradually
removed.”
Oisin, a keen Gaelic
footballer from the
village of Belcoo in
Fermanagh was
treated in the Royal
Victoria Hospital in
Belfast.
St Michael’s is a
Catholic boys’ school
with 700 pupils.
Fr Quinn said Oisin
was a very well-
grounded and
well-rounded young
teenager.
“He was happy and
helpful, genuinely
helpful, intelligent
young fella.”
He said the
community in Belcoo
had been united in
prayer for Oisin.
THE family of a Dublin pensioner
who went missing last summer
have said they are “absolutely
devastated” after learning his
body has been found in England.
The family of Thomas Kennedy (81)
from Finglas said they were informed on
Wednesday that his body was recovered
in Blackpool and identified from DNA.
“We are absolutely devastated after
discovering that Tommy’s body was
found by the police,” they said in a
statement.
“We would like to thank people all over
the country and the many volunteers and
gardai for all their help and support that
they gave us over the last seven months.”
Body
Lancashire police confirmed that
Thomas’s body was found near Starr
Gate at Blackpool, Lancashire, north-
west England, in August last year — just
weeks after he went missing from his
home.
They said “the body was identified
through DNA”, adding: “Mr Kennedy’s
body will now be returned to Ireland.”
It is believed that the father-of-three’s
body washed into the Irish Sea after he
went missing from his home and that his
body was then deposited on a beach in
Blackpool.
The Lancashire police gave no
explanation for the length of time —
almost seven months — that it took to
identify the body.
Gardai do not believe there is anything
suspicious about his death.
Thomas — who had
nine grandchildren
ranging in ages from
one to 20 — was last
seen moving bins out-
side his home in Virginia
Park, Finglas, at 9pm on
Tuesday, July 29.
A massive search
ensued involving gardai,
the Civil Defence and
many volunteers, who
scoured fields, rivers and
canals in their search for
the former mechanic.
His younger grandchildren even
TRAGIC THOMAS
DRIFTED 220KM
TO BLACKPOOL
Missing pensioner mystery solved
I Kevin JENKINSON
SEARCH: Meath River
Rescue conducting a
search in the Finglas
area in August last year
after tragic Thomas
(right) went missing
wrote letters to
Santa Claus before
Christmas asking
for his help to bring
their beloved
granddad home.
Funeral
As the family
began to make
preparations to
bring his body
home and arrange
his funeral, they
said they were
“very moved” and
thankful for the thousands
of messages they received
on social media yesterday
after it emerged that
Tommy’s body was found.
“Rest in peace Thomas.
Thinking of all the family
at this sad time and
keeping them in my
prayers,” said one message
on a Facebook page set up
to help find Tommy.
His family added: “We
now request privacy for the
family so that we can
grieve.”
GRIEF: Thomas’s
son Vincent with a
‘missing’ poster,
and (above) map
showing how
Thomas’s body
drifted to the UK