Late bus driver was a man 'everybody knew and everybody liked'

The late Michael Gill, who died after the Bus Éireann bus he was driving was involved in an accident between Athlone and Moate on Wednesday evening, has been described as a person "everybody knew and everybody liked" in his native village of Kenagh in Longford.

"He was the sort of guy that, if you were getting on the bus in poor form, he'd have you brightened up a bit by the time you got off it," said Colm Murray, a member of Longford County Council from Kenagh.

It's understood that Mr Gill, who was aged in his mid-50s, joined Bus Éireann late last year and worked from its Athlone depot, having previously spent some 16 years with the Kenagh-based company Farrelly's Coaches.

He regularly drove the Farrelly's Coaches bus between Longford and Athlone IT, now TUS, "so a lot of students and people around the Athlone area were probably familiar with him even if they didn't necessarily know him," said Cllr Murray.

The Fine Gael councillor told the Westmeath Independent that the news of Mr Gill's passing this week had been devastating for the locality.

"There was a huge sense of shock when the news came through on Wednesday evening that Michael had passed. A sense of disbelief, to be honest. He was just one of those characters who was a mainstay of life in the village.

"Everybody knew him and everybody liked him, he was a very popular individual. His loss is sorely felt, and is particularly heartbreaking for his wife and family."

One of Mr Gill's involvements in the community was in the GAA, and he played for his local club in Kenagh in the 1980s, before going on to serve as its treasurer at a later date.

His funeral details have not yet been announced and it's understood that a post-mortem on his remains will be taking place today (Friday).

No other vehicle was involved in the incident on Wednesday evening which saw the bus leave the road at Killogeenaghan, on the R446 between Athlone and Moate.

Mr Gill was taken to the Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore, where he later died.

Gardaí said some of the 18 passengers on board required hospital treatment for non life-threatening injuries.