AN Post CEO leads tributes to road traffic victim

Anton McNulty

THE CEO of An Post was among those to pay tribute to a postman who died following a road traffic accident near Keenagh last Wednesday morning.
Mattie Merrick of Ballycorroon, Crossmolina, who was a long-serving mails contractor with An Post, passed away on Wednesday morning, March 1, following a two-car collision.
Mr Merrick was delivering post when his vehicle collided with another car containing a young couple from Belmullet. The fatal crash occurred at around 10.30am at the junction with the R312, the main road from Belmullet to Castlebar, in the townland of Keenagh.
Mr Merrick, who was in his 60s, was pronounced dead at the scene, while the young couple were transferred to Mayo University Hospital for injuries that were described as ‘not life threatening’.
Mr Merrick was a married family man and is survived by his wife, Catherine; sons, Joseph, Kieran and Marty, and daughter, Katie. Large crowds paid their respects to the family in Hiney’s Funeral Home in Crossmolina on Friday evening, and Mr Merrick was laid to rest in Crossmolina Cemetery following his funeral Mass on Saturday afternoon.
Following news of the death, Mr David McRedmond, CEO of An Post, extended his sympathy on behalf of the company to the family of Mr Merrick.
“I am saddened to hear of the sudden death of Mr Merrick. I extended my deepest sympathy and that of An Post to Mr Merrick’s family and his work colleagues,” said Mr McRedmond.
Crossmolina-based councillor Michael Loftus, who knew Mr Merrick and his family, also expressed his condolences, describing the deceased as a ‘a hardworking man whose house and farm was exceedingly well kept’.
The death of Mr Merrick marked the first death on Mayo roads in 2017.