The late Johnny Gormley from Belleek.
THE BELLEEK community has been left ‘devastated’ following the tragic death of father-of-two Jonathan Gormley in a ‘freak accident’.
The 29-year-old from Belleek, a tree surgeon by trade, died on Monday, December 21 after he was struck from behind by a tree.
Mr Gormley, a well-known figure in the community, had been felling some wind-blown timber at Meenadreen, Co Donegal when the accident took place.
Mr Gormley, of Dulrush Lodge, Leggs, was a keen fisherman and leaves behind his partner Mairead Coughlin from Ballyshannon and their two children, six-year-old Jack and three-year-old Oran.
The son of Bridie and James Gormley, who own the Black Cat Cove in the village, he was brother to Jamie, Ben and Oliver.
Gerry McLaughlin, married to an aunt of Jonathan paid a moving tribute to a young man “with his whole life in front of him cruelly snatched away.”
“You never saw him without a smile, he was a very sunny young fella, not materialistic in any way. His whole life were his two children Jack and Oran. Obviously those children will miss him very much, like we all will. He was in a job that he was really good at and was also a mighty man for the fishing. It’s tragic that something terribly unforeseen happened to him.”
Mr McLoughlin said the Gormley family had been left “very distressed” by the passing of the much loved Jonathan.
“Christmas has been cancelled really. Between that and the death of Ryan McGovern it has been a difficult time. We would know his people very well. His mother is from Belleek so it is a double tragedy. Between Belleek and Garrison it has not been a great Christmas.”
Local SDLP councillor John Coyle, who went to school with the deceased said the community had been left “devastated”.
“We’re such a small rural community and were tight-knit, everyone is inter-linked. It was just so sad and such a shock. When I heard the news I just didn’t want to believe it had happened.”
He added: “You have to commend the whole community though, who rallied around the families and made sure that the whole community was there for them in their time of need.”
Former Bundoran councillor and Belleek native Michael Mahon reflected on a sad week for people in the local area, remembering also the family of seven-year-old Ryan McGovern. As an act of remembrance people in the community lit candles on Christmas Day in their homes for the McGovern and Gormley families.
“It’s been a terrible bad week in the Belleek and Garrison area with two very sad tragedies and my heart goes out to them and my condolences especially coming at Christmas. It’s always bad, but at Christmas it’s that bit worse. I hope both families and everybody concerned can get through this very sad time. People in the surrounding areas are all stunned by this and it puts things in perspective.”
Former local councillor and Belleek man Tommy Gallagher added his sympathies:
“The entire community is shocked and saddened by Jonathan’s death, on top of the death of young Ryan McGovern.
“I would like to express my sympathies with Jonathan’s partner, his two children, his parents and three brothers, and the wider family circle.
“He was a very popular fellow and was well known throughout the Fermanagh and Donegal communities. His many friends are very, very saddened at his death.”
The well-attended funeral mass, held at St Patrick’s Church, Belleek took place on December 24 and was conducted by Fr Tiernach Beggan. Burial followed at the adjoining cemetery.
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