Liam KielyPrint Page

A plaque erected in memory of Irishman Liam Kiely who drowned while snorkelling in Coral Bay in 2006. 

The town of Cahir is still struggling to come to terms with the death of local sports star Liam Kiely who lost his life in a drowning accident in Australia last week. The trip of a lifetime down under turned to tragedy for Liam (27) when he was snorkelling off the coast of Perth and got into difficulty in the sea waters. He had travelled to Australia at the beginning of the year and was due to arrive home during the summer to help his beloved Cahir Gaelic football team in the county championship.

Liam was a member of the well-known and popular Kiely family from Cahir, who are steeped in GAA and community involvement, while his mother's Casey family are similarly well-regarded. He was son of Jenny and Willie from Ballingeary, Cahir, and his father is a former selector and chairman with Cahir GAA Club and currently life president. He had two two brothers, Johnny and Philly, and four sisters, Aine, Carmel, Ita, and Sinead.

A former pupil of Cashel CBS, he worked as an electrician in recent years and was an active member of the GAA club in Cahir, playing both hurling and football. He was a member of the Cahir panel who won the county senior football championship for the first time in the club's history in 2003, and scored the last point in the final against Ardfinnan after coming on as a substitute. "I can remember him taking a pass over in the left corner and he took on the defence and took a shot and it went straight over", recalled club chairman Denny Whelan this week.

Denny described Liam as a "hugely popular" member of the team and club and said that he always had a joke ready to diffuse a tense situation. "We were just shocked and couldn't believe it when we heard the news", he said of the drowning accident. "He was a fine young fella and one of those characters that's so well liked." Liam also captained the Cahir under-21 hurling team when they won the club's first adult county hurling title back in 2000, proudly lifting the cup in Semple Stadium.

A huge crowd turned up at the GAA clubrooms in Cahir last Saturday night for a special memorial service, conducted by Fr Jack Meade, and the attendance heard glowing tributes from club chairman Denny Whelan and others. The club also decided to cease all GAA activities until after Liam's funeral, as a mark of respect to the young man and his family. Celebrations to mark the 60th anniversary of the foundation of the local branch of Macra na Feirme, due to take place in Cahir this Friday, were also postponed as a result of the tragedy and will instead be held on April 21st.

Liam's remains were expected home last night after being released by the coroner in Australia and were accompanied home by his girlfriend, Vera Halley from Clogheen, who was travelling with him during the trip abroad. He will remain at the family home until tomorrow (Friday) morning, when he will then be brought to the parish church for funeral mass at 12 noon, followed by burial in the New Cemetery.
Tipperary Star, 6th April 2006. 

Location

Address:	Robinson Street, Coral Bay, 6701
State:	WA
Area:	Foreign
GPS Coordinates:	Lat: -23.142484 Long: 113.771495 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate.

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Details

Monument Type:	Plaque
Monument Theme:	People
Sub-Theme:	Tragedy

Dedication

Source: MA