CANAL DEATHS
Two men who tragically died in Grand Canal drowning named as foul play not suspected
The two men tragically drowned on Saturday in the Grand Canal in Dublin
THE two homeless men who were found dead in the Grand Canal have been named.
Investigators probing the tragedy have ruled out foul play, however, they are still awaiting post-mortem examinations.
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Gardai discovered the two men by the water at Grand Parade in Dublin after the alarm was raised on Saturday.
Emergency services recovered the bodies of the men, aged in their 40s, and worked to revive them, but they were pronounced dead at the scene.
The tragic pair have been named locally as Kerry native Donal Scanlon, 49, and US national Alex Warnick, 42.
The two homeless men are understood to have been friends.
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Scanlon, who was from Ballybunion but had been sleeping in a tent close by to the canal, is reported to have jumped into the Grand Canal to help Warnick who had gotten into difficulty in the water, according to The Irish Examiner.
The paper said the two men had been in Dublin for several years and were known to homeless services in the capital.
Gardai do not suspect foul play at this time but they are still awaiting the results of post-mortem examinations including toxicology reports.
Local Fianna Fail TD Jim O’Callaghan passed on his condolences to relatives.
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He added: “If it is the case that the men were staying in tents or they were homeless, it does underline the dangerousness of living in a tent and being homeless.
“Obviously there’s an obligation to ensure that we provide accommodation for people who find themselves in that desperate situation.”
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A statement on the investigation said: "Gardai at Donnybrook are investigating all of the circumstances surrounding the discovery of the bodies of two individuals at Grand Parade, Dublin, this morning, Saturday, 6th July 2024.
"Shortly after 8am, gardai and emergency services responded to reports of a body in the canal at Grand Parade.
"The bodies of two males, aged in their 40s, were recovered from the canal a short time later.
Pronounced dead
"Both were pronounced deceased at the scene.
"The scene is preserved, and a Garda cordon is in place.
"The Office of the State Pathologist and the local Coroner have been notified.
"The results of post-mortem examinations and local enquiries will determine the course of Garda investigations."