The red-and-white tail of the stricken helicopter could be seen protruding from the roof of the piggery where it crashed on Tuesday afternoon.
It came down a few hundred metres to the left of the manicured grounds of Raharney GAA club, which is between Killucan and Raharney off the R156 in Co Westmeath.
Eyewitnesses say the helicopter seemed to run out of power and crashed into the grey-slated piggery which is behind a large cornfield. There are no farmhouses near the piggery, which is located down a narrow road with high hedges on both sides.
The hurling club cancelled all training sessions on Wednesday and expressed its condolences to the families of the bereaved.
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Two hearses left the lane up to the farmhouse at about 6.30pm with a Garda escort. A Garda car blocked the entrance to the long lane into the piggery.
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Local man Edmond McHugh said he was milking some cows when he heard a loud bang, but thought nothing of it. “I thought it might be a cow hitting a gate,” he said. Though his home is straight across the road from the scene, there was no smoke or fire. “We heard a few sirens shortly afterwards.”
His daughter Aileen said she had headphones on and didn’t realise how closeby the incident was until gardaí and an ambulance turned up.
Another local, who did not wish to be named, described hearing a bang outside their home, adding: “My wife saw something flying over and then it was gone. We drove around looking for it, but couldn’t find it.
“We knew something was wrong. The news started coming in. We are devastated. It’s so close to us. I feel sick for what happened to those families. It’s a very tight-knit community. We do everything together. Just to think that somebody has to come to this area and got the worst news ever is terrible.”
The flight originated at Dublin’s Weston Airport, according to flight data, and the helicopter had been in the air for some 25 minutes when the crash occurred.
In a post on X, Taoiseach Simon Harris said he was “thinking of all those involved” in the crash, and his thoughts and gratitude were also with all the emergency services.
Sorca Clarke, Sinn Féin TD for Longford-Westmeath, said she was “deeply saddened” to learn of the double fatality.
“My thoughts and prayers are with their families, friends and loved ones.
“The area the helicopter came down in is a small rural community and locals have expressed to me their shock at this tragic event.
“I want to extend also my sincere thanks to those who came to the aid of the men, the first responders and the emergency services. My thoughts are with them also this evening.”
It is not the first time that an aviation tragedy has occurred locally. In 2006 a light aircraft came down locally and a man died in the incident.
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