Melbourne crash

Man (29) killed in Melbourne crash

Michael Commins

THE son of a well-known Mayo musician and singer has died following a freak road accident in Melbourne, Australia. Matthew Forde (29),a civil engineer, had been living and working in Australia for over a year.
His father, Tom Forde, is a native of Newbrook, Claremorris and has been based in the Birmingham region for the past two decades or so. He is a well-known performer on the Irish circuit in the English midlands and he and Irene are also regulars on the Enjoy Travel overseas music holidays promotions. Tom’s brother, Martin Forde and his wife Bridie, reside in the family homeplace in Newbrook.
The Forde family lived for around seven years in Ballinrobe where Tom ran an electrical shop. Matthew attended national school in the town before they later moved back to Birmingham. He was a very regular visitor to Mayo, together with his father Tom and brother James.
It is understood that the accident took place on a hard shoulder, where he was pulled in while awaiting the arrival of a maintenance van.
A prayer service will be held in Melbourne and his funeral will take place in Birmingham later in the month.
He is survived by his parents Tom and Ann, his sister Joanne, twin sister Kate, and brothers Sean and James.