THE Inishowen electoral
area meeting of Donegal County Council was adjourned
yesterday as a mark of respect to the late Mayor of
Ballyshannon Cllr PJ Branley.
Cllr Branley, 58, died in an horrific crash on the
main road between Ballyshannon and Donegal Town on
Sunday.
His passenger, 40 year old Sinn Féin activist Dessie
McNulty, from Ballintra, was also killed. The two
were on their way to distribute party newsletters
outside church gates when the crash occurred around
10am. The driver of the car that collided with Cllr
Branley's van also died. He was 17 year old Michael
O’Sullivan, from Lawne Park, Ballyshannon.
Tributes were paid to Cllr Branley by Inishowen
electoral area councillors yesterday before their
meeting was adjourned as a mark of respect.
Meanwhile, Sinn Féin Senator Pearse Doherty said
everyone in Donegal Sinn Féin was "absolutely
devastated" by the deaths of their colleagues.
"PJ gave decades of service to the cause of Irish
republicanism, was imprisoned twice, in the early
1970s and mid 1980s. He was an absolute gentleman
and a proud intelligent republican. He also had a
great sense of humour always lifting his fellow
activists with his natural way," he said.
“Dessie was a 'can do' party activist, always
inspiring those around him with his enthusiasm and
appetite for hard work. It is no surprise that
Dessie and PJ died while on party business together
and on their way to hand out leaflets at the time of
the tragedy," he added. |
