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Two men found dead in a Waterford shelter last night were named locally as Paul Crotty and Mark Lyons, both in their 40s and from County Waterford.
St Vincent de Paul Regional Administrator David O’Neill expressed his condolences to the men’s families. “Homelessness is a difficult situation for everyone and, in particular, at Christmas. Anyone could be on the brink of homelessness. It is very tragic and sad news and our thoughts and prayers are with the deceased and their family and friends, ”he said.
A local man who has lived at the facility since August described the two men “as lifelong friends and fun lovers.” He said that ‘all the men in the shelter would be nice and have breakfast together’. “I met them yesterday morning and they were in great shape,” he said.
Autopsies should be done on Sunday.
Gardaí is not currently treating these deaths as sinister, but the results of the autopsy will determine the course of the investigation.
The two men were found dead at St Vincent de Paul’s McGwire House shelter in the city of Waterford on Thursday night.
A resident of the shelter described the discovery of the men’s bodies as “very sad” and a “tragic day”.
Speaking in , a shelter resident named Darryl, who was a friend of the deceased, said he was shocked by the news and had spoken to both of them the day before the incident.
“Very sad. Tragic day […] Yes, it is a bit shocking. I have known them for years. […] We are all good friends. We all get along. They all eat breakfast together, they share the same coffee room, “he said.
Paramedics and gardaí were called to the shelter on Bath Street on Thursday around 4.45pm.
When they arrived, they found the body of a man, in his 40s.
Another man, believed to be 40 years old, was found dead in a bed at the shelter shortly after.
Both bodies were removed from the scene and taken to Waterford University Hospital, where post-mortem examinations will be performed.
Investigations are underway on the last known movements of both men.
A spokesman for the McGwire House Hostel said the situation was “very tragic and sad.”
“Our thoughts are with the deceased, their family and friends,” they said.
The silence surrounding the other two deaths in Waterford within homeless services.
Have we gotten that far away? #Do not forget me pic.twitter.com/A5O7N8hPe9
– Cllr. Anthony Flynn (@AnthonyICHH) December 4, 2020
Sinn Féin TD of Waterford David Cullinane also described the deaths as “a tragedy” and called for a full investigation.
While the number of people who are homeless and requiring emergency shelter has fallen by nearly 17% this year, according to the latest figures from the Department of Housing, more than 50 homeless people have died since January.
Catríona Twomey from Cork Penny Dinners fears more homeless people will die this month. She said:
“Covid has been the most distressing moment in the lives of many people.
“We have seen many suicides. We are heartbroken for them and we are very concerned that there are many more.
“Many people are now dying from drug abuse as well. People turn to drink and drugs to soften the blows.
“More needs to be done now before we have another death.
“The government must know the pain and despair out there and support services to help people who are not in a position to help themselves.”
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