Community Mourns Loss of Beloved Tradesman and Fisherman in Tragic Drowning

 Kanturk, Co Cork | May 25, 2025 — A sense of profound grief descended on the community of Kanturk and surrounding areas last week following the untimely death of Simon O’Connell (41), a respected tradesman and cherished member of the local fishing community, who tragically drowned in the River Blackwater near Mallow.

Mr. O’Connell, of Meelaheeragh, Kanturk, encountered difficulties while swimming at Dysert, Dromagh around 7pm on Wednesday evening. Emergency services responded swiftly after the alarm was raised, and his body was subsequently recovered downstream by members of the Cork County Fire Service.

A Requiem Mass was held at the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Kanturk, where Fr John Magner addressed a deeply moved congregation, reflecting on the community’s collective shock and sorrow. “There is a palpable sense of numbness and devastation among us,” he said. “For me to witness Nancy holding her son Simon evoked the haunting image of Michelangelo’s Pietà—the sorrow of a mother cradling her child brought into stark, heartbreaking reality.”

Fr Magner paid tribute to Simon as a man of many talents and deep connections to the land and water. “Simon was gifted with his hands. His craftsmanship as a plasterer was well regarded and highly sought after. Beyond his trade, he had a deep passion for the outdoors—his days were filled with fishing, working with dogs and ferrets, and tending to horses. He lived life closely tied to nature.”

During the Mass, symbols representing Simon’s life were brought to the altar: a plastering trowel, a fishing net, and a dog muzzle—each reflecting a different facet of a life lived with purpose and authenticity.

Following the 11:30am service, Mr. O’Connell was cremated at the Island Crematorium in Ringaskiddy, Co Cork. A file has been submitted to the Coroner for North Cork, and an inquest will be held in due course.

Simon O’Connell is mourned by his loving parents James and Nancy, his brothers James and Barry, his nephews Jamie and Danny, niece Isla, as well as his extended family, friends, and a community left heartbroken by his sudden loss.