A cremation service will take place in Ringaskiddy, Co Cork, on Tuesday for murdered Irish Rail employee Ian Walsh.
The 49-year-old was found dead at his home in Carrick-on-Suir, Co Tipperary, on August 4th.
Gardaí launched a murder investigation after Mr Walsh was found with stab wounds in a downstairs room at his home in Ravenswood Estate on Cregg Road at about 3.30am last Monday.
There was no sign of forced entry at the property. It is understood that gardaí believe whoever murdered Mr Walsh was known to him and that he possibly admitted his killer to the house. A postmortem examination by State Pathologist Dr Yvonne McCartney confirmed he had died by violent means.
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Mr Walsh was last seen alive on the evening of Friday, August 1st.
Gardaí on Saturday began searches of the river Suir in an attempt to find the weapon they believe was used in the killing.
Mr Walsh was predeceased by his father Philip and his grandparents. He is survived by his mother Breda Forristal, his brother Paul and Paul’s partner Rachel, and his uncle Mick Forristal.
He will lie in repose at Tom Hennessy’s Funeral Home in Johnstown, Waterford, tomorrow (Monday) from 6pm to 8pm. Cremation of his remains will take place on Tuesday, August 12th, at 3pm at the Island Crematorium in Ringaskiddy.
In a statement, Irish Rail said Mr Walsh was a well-known and popular colleague through his working life, from catering to signalling, and through his passion for railways and transport tourism and heritage.
“Our thoughts are with his family, and his friends in the railway and beyond, at this difficult time.”
Heritage railway group Táilte Tours said they felt extreme sadness at Mr Walsh’s death and that he was “a huge supporter” of their rail tour operation.
[ Tributes paid to Irish Rail worker found dead in his homeOpens in new window ]
“Ian ran five rail tours of his own over the course of the mid to late 2000s, and was very much a pioneer in ‘outside the box’ tours in Ireland, starting them from locations such as Waterford and Limerick, in an era when tours were generally based in Dublin or Belfast.
“He was more than happy to pass his experience and expertise on when we started operations a few years ago. For those of you who enjoyed the ‘surprise’ rare track moves on our Cork-based rail tours, you can thank Ian, who went far beyond the extra mile to ensure our operations went off without a hitch.”
Gardaí are appealing for anyone with information related to Mr Walsh’s death to come forward, including any road users who were in the area of Cregg Road between 8pm on Friday, August 1st and 3.30am on Monday, August 4th.
Additionally, anyone who may have camera footage and was travelling in the area at the time is asked to make it available to gardaí.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Clonmel Garda station on (052) 617 7640, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station.
