Former soldier who died in double Liffey drowning laid to rest

The funeral has taken place of a former soldier who drowned when trying to rescue another man in the river Liffey.

James “Jimmy” Nicholl’s funeral mass took place at St Brigid’s Church in the Curragh Camp on Monday morning.

Mr Nicholl and another man drowned in the early hours of Saturday, April 8th. A man in his 20s got into difficulty near Grattan Bridge at approximately 1.30am.

Mr Nicholl dived in to save him. Gardaí were alerted by a passerby, but when they reached the scene, they could find no trace of either man.

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Their bodies were found later that morning. Gardaí have not named the other victim.

Mr Nicholl, who was in his 40s, spent two years as a soldier between 2000 and 2002.

Former army ranger wing member and now independent TD Cathal Berry said Mr Nicholl’s death had been a double tragedy given the two deaths that occurred.

He said Mr Nicholl came from a “big defence family” and his father had been in the Irish army stationed in the Curragh too. “There is a huge Curragh connection,” he said.

Mr Berry added that though Mr Nicholl only spent a short time in the Irish army, he had exhibited a soldier’s courage in his last moments.

“He answered for his courage when it mattered the most. Anybody with military DNA can recognise the importance of that.”

The homeless charity, A Helping Hand, described Mr Nicholl as a “hero for diving into the freezing cold river to save a random man’s life that was drowning last Friday night in the Liffey in Dublin.

“He didn’t hesitate to dive in and try help the poor soul in the water, he jumped straight in and in doing so he lost his life trying to save another human’s life.”

Mr Nicholl was homeless at the time. The charity said he had been clean from addiction and was “looking good to be housed” when the tragedy occurred.

“Even though he hadn’t much himself, and was homeless he always looked out for others who lived on the street. Everyone is devastated by his loss,” the charity said on its Facebook page.

“He’s a hero in our eyes and deserves to be recognised as one. We hope you are in heaven with your baby and shining down on everyone.”

Gardaí said enquiries are ongoing following the incident and files are being prepared for the coroner.

“At approximately 1:30am on Saturday 8th April 2023, gardaí received a report that one male had entered the water at Grattan Bridge followed by another male who was attempting to assist,” they stated.

“Despite an extensive search conducted by gardaí and Dublin Fire Brigade, the males could not be located,” they said.

“The bodies of two males (aged in their 20s and 40s) were recovered by gardaí from the river Liffey on the morning of Saturday 8th April 2023.”