THERE was grief stricken silence on the streets of Portarlington yesterday evening as the removal of the seventh victim of the Portarlington fire tragedy, Mr Colm Maher (27), took place. He died on Wednesday in St James's Hospital in Dublin, where he had been critical since Sunday.
He was severely burnt when he tried to rescue his brother Barry (12), who suffered from muscular dystrophy, from the fire in the family home on Sunday morning.
Representatives of GAA clubs from all over Ireland were among the thousands who gathered to pay their final respects to Mr Maher, a Laois county footballer and one of the top forwards in the Portarlington club.
The coffin was carried along the 11/2 mile route from the Chapel of Rest to St Michael's Church by five groups of Portarlington players and two groups of Laois footballers.
A guard of honour was formed by the officers and members of Portarlington GAA club who were flanked by the Civil Defence.
The under 16 team from St Joseph's CBS in the town formed a guard of honour outside the school. Mr Maher was a member of the team which won the Leinster Colleges championship in 1984.
The cortege paused briefly at the square in view of the former Maher family home at Marina Hill. The remains were received by Father Pat Curran. The Taoiseach, Mr Bruton, and GAA president, Mr Jack Boothman, are expected to attend the funeral Mass today at 10 a.m.