Tragic death of Crossboyne man

Tragic death of Crossboyne man

Michael Commins

THE Crossboyne region near Claremorris was in deep shock over the weekend as news filtered through of the death of Robin Keane in a road accident between Bohola and Ballyvary on Saturday morning. Robin and his wife Pauline were on their way from London to Belcarra when the van left the road and struck a stone wall. Pauline was taken by ambulance to Mayo General Hospital and is expected to make a full recovery.
Robin (57) was a member of one of the best-known families in the Crossboyne region. For many years, the family ran the village pub, Keane’s of Crossboyne. He was the third eldest in a family of ten, seven sons and three daughters born to the late Vincent and Maureen Keane.
Back in the mid-1980s, Robin (who was christened Malachy Christopher) ran the shop which is now owned by Liam Coen in Ballindine. During that period, he was also involved in the pub business in Ballindine where he operated the Robin’s Nest and The Steering Wheel.
After moving to London in the late 1980s, Robin undertook night classes after spotting a niche in the market for specialised carpentry. He soon began to build up a substantial business and also acquired the Lansdowne Pub in London. In more recent times, Robin also purchased The Star in Harrow, London and was taking a keen interest in both ventures.
He and Pauline (nee Nally from Belcarra) had recently seen work on their new home in Belcarra almost complete and were delighted with the progress of the venture. They were regular visitors to Mayo and eventually planned to retire to the county.
Robin was back and over on a regular basis and loved to maintain old friendships in Crossboyne, Ballindine and Claremorris. He had a wonderful affinity with his home area and took a special interest in matters relating to local history.
The sad tidings came as a huge shock to the people of his home area and hundreds of messages of condolences have been received by family members in the aftermath of the tragedy.
Robin is survived by his wife Pauline, sons Alan and Malachy, daughters Deirdre and Maureen, brothers TJ (Claremorris), Francis (Galway), John V (Aughagower), Gabriel Dublin), Aiden (Dublin) and Declan (London), sisters Phil (England), Marie (Claremorris) and Nancy (Claremorris), in-laws, nephews, nieces, relatives and friends.
Removal takes place from Our Lady’s Funeral Home, Claremorris this evening (Wednesday) at 7pm to Crossboyne Church with the funeral proceeding to Breaffy Cemetery following Requiem Mass at 12 noon on Thursday.