Year in Review 2019: August
By Hayden Moore
LATE into August, the community was stunned by the tragic death of Clondalkin man Vincent Parsons, who was discovered with severe head injuries by passers-by in Killinarden Estate following a violent attack.
Married with two children, Vincent was rushed to Tallaght University Hospital where he was pronounced dead two days after the attack – with one man arrested and released without charge in the days after his death.
Vincent Parsons (34)
But there was some joy to be had through the month with Clondalkin’s St Joseph’s Pipe Band being crowned World Champions at the World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow, while the Viking Drum Corps brought the All-Ireland title home to Tallaght.
The joy carried on when, three years after opening its doors to their first 60 students while in prefabs, Kingswood Community College moved into its new building with over 525 students and 48 staff.
Leaving Certificate results were revealed with over 58,000 students around the country getting their results.
Glen McHugh Farrelly, a 17-year-old with Spinal Muscular Atrophy who also received his Leaving Cert results, spoke of how “it was a struggle fighting for a drug to save my life while studying for the Leaving”.
Glen McHugh Farrelly was campaigning for government funding for the ‘miracle drug’ Spinraza
After nine years in the food industry, Grant Thornton was appointed as liquidators to wind up The Blazin’ Grill Steakhouse and Seafood restaurant on Cookstown Way.
Another popular eatery, The Streat Café, also shut up shop on its 10th birthday with franchisees Derek and Aisling Mullins stepping away to focus on their family.
Emma Styles started a campaign to raise €70,000 for her son, Luke Cross, to send him to Poland for potential life-saving brain surgery.
Funds are still being raised through JustGiving for Clondalkin native Luke (4), who is the only person in Ireland to be diagnosed with the brain disorder, AADC or aromatic amino acid decarboxylase deficiency.
Luke (4), is the only person in Ireland to be diagnosed with the brain disorder, AADC or aromatic amino acid decarboxylase deficiency.
It was revealed that more than 8,500 people were waiting 18 months or longer for an outpatient appointment at Tallaght University Hospital with car-parking charges at the hospital revealed to have generated €1.2m since 2017.
It was also revealed in The Echo that more than 1,800 children were awaiting speech and language assessment or therapy in Dublin South West, with 145 of the children waiting longer than two years for an initial assessment.
Save Clondalkin Convent activists marched from the church gates to the entrance of the Presentation Convent gates in protest of a 155-bed nursing home on the grounds.
Nursing homes were a hot topic this month as a family in Brittas detailed how they are set to lose their water supply that has been there for over a hundred years once St Brigid’s Nursing Home in Crooksling closes this forthcoming year.
Residents in Clondalkin were also out in force protesting in the hope of scaling down proposals for a 155-bed nursing home unit on the grounds of Presentation Convent.
A story from the courts which gripped The Echo’s online readers detailed how a former prisoner of Mountjoy Prison, Keith McDonnell, “lost his head” shortly after his former partner took her own life and caused €1,700 worth of damage to his cell.
Given a suspended sentence for criminal damage, the court heard how McDonnell went to visit his former partner in the mortuary and “lost his head” upon returning to prison.
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