Tributes are paid to victim of Cornamaddy motor bike crash
The funeral of the young man who tragically died in a road traffic collision on Sunday takes place in Coosan today (Wednesday). Martin Lawless, 22, of One Mile, Arcadia, Athlone, died while riding his motorcycle in Cornamaddy last Sunday evening August 15. He became the second young man in the locality to die in a motorbike accident in less than a month and the accident has shocked locals around Athlone and sympathies have been pouring in to the family. Martin, who just fully qualified as a carpenter this year, died when the bike he was riding collided with a wall in the Cornamaddy area at around 7pm on Sunday evening August 15. No-one else was injured in the accident. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Martin's from a well-known family in the town and will be deeply missed by his parents Leo and Deirdre, brothers Leo, Kevin, Michael, John, Brendan and sister Sheena. On October 31 last year, Martin's older sister Sarah Maria, who also lived in the family home at Arcadia, passed away at the age of 24, after an illness. Leo Snr runs his own fuel merchant and distributor business. As a teenager, Martin attended the Marist College and was also a keen hurler. A former colleague and friend of Martin's paid tribute to him yesterday and described him as a very hard worker. "It was a very big shock to hear the news," he said. "We'd often go for a few pints together, he was a good little gossun and a hard worker. Everyone liked him. He was the best gossun you could ever met, he'd do anything to oblige." Local TD Mary O'Rourke is a neighbour of the family. "I am heartbroken for the Lawless family to lose their beautiful daughter not so long ago and now Martin. It is a huge tragedy. They are a hard-working family group who are very devoted to one another," she said. Gardaí in Athlone are continuing to investigate the single-vehicle road traffic collision and are appealing for witnesses to contact them on 090 6498550. Requiem mass for Martin is taking place in Our Lady Queen of Peace Church, Coosan at 12 noon today, with burial afterwards in Coosan Cemetery.