Clonmel’s twin town of Reading is reeling from a terror stabbing attack which claimed the lives of three people on Saturday night.
In the wake of the tragedy, Cllr Richie Molloy has been in touch with public representatives in Reading to express his sympathies with the bereaved families.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the bereaved.
“Clonmel has strong ties with Reading and I was shocked and saddened to hear of the awful attack,” said Cllr Molloy.
Three people were killed in the terror attack in Forbury Gardens in Reading and three more people were hospitalised as a result of the stabbing.
SUSPECT IN CUSTODY
A suspect remains in custody accused of killing three people and wounding three others.
The 25-year-old man was detained a short distance from the scene at Forbury Gardens and arrested.
Cllr Molloy said he was upset for the people of Reading after hearing the news on Saturday night.
“Clonmel had very strong and active links with the town of Reading and I have sent a message of condolence to public representatives there,” said Cllr Molloy.
Cllr Molloy was the last mayor of Clonmel to formally visit Reading in 2019.
The mayor of Reading was due to visit Clonmel in a return visit for St Patrick’s Day but the visit was cancelled because of the coronavirus crisis.
“Clonmel is a twin town with Reading since 1994.
The mayor of Clonmel would visit Reading and the mayor of Reading would visit Clonmel every year .
“Early on in the link a good number of sporting organisations would have arranged exchange visits between clubs,” said Cllr Molloy. Cllr Molloy has visited Reading on two occasions as part of the twinning process. During his visit to Reading in 2019 he, along with the then Mayor of Reading Debs Edwards, made a presentation to Clonmel man Dick O’ Brien.
“Dick is originally from Baron Park.
“He has lived in Reading for a long time and he was one of the leading figures involved in establishing the link between the two towns and promoting it over the years,” said Cllr Molloy.
“Following the attack I contacted Debs to convey our sympathies,” said Cllr Molloy.
Aiden Fennessy, on behalf of the Clonmel Bianconi Twinning Comittee, also extended his sympathies to the people of Reading following the tragedy last weekend.
“The members of the committee were saddened to hear of the tragedy in Reading and we extend our sympathies to the bereaved and their families,” Mr Fennessy said. On Monday, mourners gathered for a minute’s silence outside the Blagrave Arms pub in Reading town centre.
Tipperary Live - Illegal dumping at a Cashel playground
Subscribe or register today to discover more from DonegalLive.ie
Buy the e-paper of the Donegal Democrat, Donegal People's Press, Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles.
Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm.