Man drowns attempting Tricolour removal
A man who drowned attempting to remove two Irish Tricolours from a pond in County Armagh to replace them with a Union flag has been named locally as Oswald ‘Ossie’ Bradley.
The pensioner and father of two was attempting to swim to an island in the middle of the Bessbrook Pond on Monday afternoon.
The grandfather received first aid at the scene before being taken to Daisy Hill Hospital where he later died.
He was 68.
Police are not treating the death as suspicious.
Sorry to learn of the death of Oswald Bradley at Bessbrook Pond. Circumstances very regrettable.My sympathy & condolences to his family.
— Martin McGuinness (@M_McGuinness_SF) July 28, 2014
SDLP MLA for Newry and Armagh Dominic Bradley knew the man, who had worked as a painter and decorator in the area and owned a popular chip shop.
He said: “My thoughts and prayers are with the family at this very difficult and sad time.”
UUP MLA Danny Kennedy spent the evening with the family at the hospital and said they were “totally devastated” by the loss.
He added: “He was a highly respected and liked man within the Bessbrook community. I counted him as a personal friend and I am deeply upset by his untimely and tragic death.”
“This is a very tragic outcome to controversies surrounding flags in this village. This is too high a price for any family and community to pay.”
DUP Newry and Armagh MLA William Irwin said he was “saddened” to hear the news.
“The flags were placed there with the obvious purpose to raise tensions and it is so tragic and unfortunate that this has sadly led to a man’s death,” he said.
Last week Sinn Féin Mayor of Newry and Mourne Council, Dáire Hughes, urged those responsible for putting up the Irish flags to take them down.
The flags were removed on Monday following the tragic drowning.
