Family's heartbreaking wait to bring home remains
The remains of 23-year-old Thomas Keaney from Roundstone – who lost his fight for life following an assault in Australia – are not expected to be flown back to Ireland for two or three weeks.
And his family made the difficult decision to donate his organs – to help five people, and to allow part of him live on in the country he came to love so much.
A major fundraiser is planned for the Station House Hotel in Clifden this Saturday night to raise money to repatriate his remains – the cost of which could run as high as €60,000. The Irish community in Perth have also rallied around the family and have set up a fundraising group there.
Perth City Detectives are continuing their investigation into the events leading up to the barman’s death – it is understood the random attack was captured by CCTV in the area.
They are waiting for a post mortem to be carried out on the body and are expected to upgrade the grievous bodily harm charge against his assailant to a more serious charge.
The remains will then be released to the Keaney family to be repatriated to their home at Murvey, Roundstone.
A 22-year-old man, Abbas Al Jrood, is currently in custody and will appear before Perth Magistrates Court on January 13 by videolink. He did not apply for bail when he first appeared in court last Friday night (Irish time).
Sergeant Gerry Cassidy of Western Australia Police said: “About 2am [on December 17], the victim was with friends outside the kebab shop when a confrontation took place with a group of males. The victim was punched once in the head and fell to the ground, hitting his head on the pavement.”
It is understood that Thomas had been making a recovery in Royal Perth Hospital and had spoken by telephone with his parents, but took a turn for the worse on Christmas Eve – believed to be caused by a brain haemorrhage.
His parents, Thomas and Anne, took the next available flight and arrived in Perth on St Stephen’s Day to be by his bedside when doctors switched off life support.
His uncle, Bernard Keaney, said the family and community are devastated by the tragic death and that authorities in Australia said he was “in the wrong place at the wrong time”.
“He was a very loveable kind of guy, always upbeat. By all accounts, he was in the wrong place at the wrong time and took a blow to the head.
“He had spoken to his Mum and Dad. On Christmas Eve he took a relapse and was on a life support machine. Terribly young at 23, but that’s just a cruel twist of life,” said Mr Keaney.
Thomas had been working at The Cure Tavern, a popular Irish bar in Northbridge near Perth’s business district, and had recently extended his visa to stay on in Australia after securing more work.
He is survived by his parents, sisters Lauren and Leeann and brother Brian.
A fundraiser will be held for the Keaney family in the Clifden Station House Hotel this Saturday night (January 4), with music from local bands.
There will be a raffle and auction on the night, and the organising committee have appealed for donations and prizes. Tickets for the event cost €10 and are available in local shops and bars, and from the hotel.
Donations can be made to ‘The Thomas Fund’, AIB Clifden. Account number: 10129024 sort code 93-73-98 or through PayPal on 'The Thomas Fund' Facebook page.