Funeral details announced for respected trade union representative who died in Waterford
Pat Fitzgerald, who was in his 70s, was found with injuries at a home in Waterford city on Friday.
He was taken to University Hospital Waterford but died on Sunday.
A man in his 30s was arrested at the scene and subsequently charged. He appeared before Waterford District Court on Sunday.
Mr Fitzgerald has been described as a "highly respected and astute" trade union leader. He had worked hard for his community, independent local councillor Donal Barry said.
Originally a glass blower in Waterford Crystal, he became the full-time union convenor for the company's workforce of some 3,000 people.
He was highly respected by everyone there – workers and management, Mr Barry, who worked with Mr Fitzgerald at Waterford Crystal, said.
'He was the best we ever had,' Mr Barry said. 'He was well-known and very highly thought of.
'People are shocked and saddened by the news.'
Mr Fitzgerald fought for Waterford Crystal's workforce when the iconic Irish company went bankrupt during the financial crash.
He was involved with the union Unite when workers occupied the Waterford city plant in 2009.
The sit-in made international news and inspired a documentary.
Mr Fitzgerald was late of St Catherine's Grange and Avondale in Waterford. The widower is predeceased by his wife Kathleen, his father Jack, brother Mark and nephew Luke.
He is survived by his adult children Wayne, Joanne and Karl, his mother Maura, eight siblings, his four grandchildren, in-laws, extended family, neighbours and friends.
Mr Fitzgerald will lie in repose at Tom Hennessy's Funeral Home in Johnstown, Waterford on Thursday from 5.30pm to 7pm.
His funeral will take place at the Sacred Heart Church, The Folly in Waterford at noon on Friday with burial following in St Mary's Cemetery, Ballygunner, Waterford. The mass will be live-streamed.
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'Go back to India' - Mum distraught as kids allegedly attack her little girl
A mother is distraught after a group of kids allegedly attacked her little girl - and told her to go back to India. 'They said the F word and 'Dirty Indian, go back to India,' six-year-old Nia Naveen's devastated mother told The Irish Mirror. And mum Anupa Achuthan revealed that the horror incident happened while her Irish-born little girl was playing outside her own home. Anupa, who has lived and worked in Ireland for eight years and recently became an Irish citizen, said the gang included a girl aged around eight - and several boys between 12 and 14. Now the nurse says she is devastated that she could not protect her little girl. She told us: 'I feel so sad for her. I could not protect her. I never expected that such an incident would happen. I thought she would be safe here." Anupa, who has lived in Ireland for eight years, said the incident happened on Monday evening when Nia was playing outside the home the young family moved into in the Kilbarry area of Waterford City. She told us she was watching Nia play with other kids right outside when she had to go and feed her toddler son, Nihan, who is just 10 months old. She said: 'It was around 7.30pm and she was playing inside the house. She wanted to play outside and go cycling. The Irish Mirror's Crime Writers Michael O'Toole and Paul Healy are writing a new weekly newsletter called Crime Ireland. Click here to sign up and get it delivered to your inbox every week 'I let her outside for a few seconds. My husband was at work on night duty. He was off to work and I was alone with my 10 month old and my six year old. She went out with her friends. I was supervising them just in front of the house. They were playing together and I knew they were safe. "My youngest one started crying because it was his feeding time so I just let Nia know that I would be popping inside the house and she could play with her friends and I would be back in a second after feeding the baby.' But she said Nia came back into the house upset after around a minute. Anupa said: 'She was very upset, she started crying. She couldn't even talk, she was so scared. 'I had never seen my daughter like that. I just asked her friends what happened and they were all so upset, they couldn't talk. One of her friends said a gang of boys older than them hit her on the private parts with a cycle and five of them punched her on her face. 'She told me five of them punched her in the face. One of the boys pushed the bicycle wheel onto her private parts and it was really sore. They said the F word and 'Dirty Indian, go back to India. She told me today they punched her neck and twisted her hair.' Anupa said the family moved into the house in January - and everything was going well until Monday's incident. She said: 'When we moved into the new house (Nia) was so happy, she got new friends and had places to play. 'Now I am really upset because she told me last night she was crying in the bed and is really upset to play outside. I do not feel safe here, even in front of our own house we believe she can't play safely. 'I feel so sad for her. I could not protect her. I never expected that such an incident would happen. I thought she would be safe here.' Anupa Achuthan pictured with her daughter Nia Naveen during an interview with reporter Michael O'Toole in their home in Waterford on Tuesday. (Image: Jim Campbell) KS Naveen and Anupa Achuthan pictured with their daughter Nia Naveen and their son Nihan Naveen in their home in Waterford on Tuesday. (Image: Jim Campbell) Anupa also said she saw the gang of kids involved in the incident afterwards - and they stared her down. She said: 'I saw the gang after. They were staring at me. They know I am her parent. They were roaming around here. The boys were maybe 12 or 14. They were staring at me and laughing.' Despite going to gardai over the incident, Anupa says she does not want the kids punished - but given counselling instead. She said: 'I appreciate that they are small children, but we believe it is our place as well - what if she can't even play in front of her own house? That is not safe. 'I believe this estate belongs to them as well. I do not want them punished, I would like them to get counselling. They have to be aware of this. I accept that they are kids, but they have to know how to treat other kids well. 'She didn't do anything - she was just playing outside. They did it without any provocation, that is not acceptable. If the kids are doing this, we have to stop them, we have to educate them how to behave.' She also said that she was proud to be Indian and also to have her Irish citizenship. She said: 'I am proud to be Indian, but this is my second country. I am so happy to be an Irish citizen, but now I feel that I don't belong here. 'I am a nurse, I am doing my best to take care of people. I do my work and I am 100 per cent professional. I changed my citizenship, but still we are called dirty people and even my kids are not safe. 'I don't know how the government will be addressing this. We came here to fill a labour gap. We are professionals - we have all the certificates. 'It is a struggle to come here. We are not coming here without any qualifications. We are well qualified and the government needs us. 'I believe this is my country also. I belong here.' Anupa also said the Indian community in Ireland was still reeling from two recent attacks in Dublin, one in Tallaght and another in Clondalkin. In each case Indian men were subjected to random attacks. And shortly afterwards the Indian embassy here issued a statement warning Indian citizen to be careful here. She said: 'This is not the first incident in Ireland (for Indian people) We were so upset about what happened in Dublin. I never expected these racial comments to happen in my estate as well.' The Garda Press Office were contacted for comment but the Irish Mirror did not receive a statement before publication. Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here
