*TJ Chambers.
A BALLYEA teenager who died in a single vehicle collision outside Crusheen on Saturday has been named.
TJ Chambers’ sudden death on Saturday afternoon has brought a wave of sadness over Co Clare.
Sixteen year old TJ was a popular student at St Flannan’s College and a keen hurler at both schools and club level. He was among the latest batch of promising hurlers coming through the ranks with Ballyea including starting at full back when they contested the U15A final against Sixmilebridge in July 2023.
From Newhall in Ballyea, TJ is survived by his heartbroken fathers Tomás and Suzanne (nee Lee), his adored sisters Caoimhe and Laoise, his grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, relatives and a wide circle of friends. He hails from a strong sporting family, well known in Ballyea, Tubber and further afield.
His death is the 187th road death on Irish roads this year which is 20 more than the same period last year.
Shortly before 2pm on Saturday, Gardaí and emergency services responded to a single-vehicle collision involving a tractor on the R458 at Bunnahow, County Clare (north of Crusheen). TJ who was the sole occupant of the tractor was pronounced deceased at the scene a short time later.
Gardaí are appealing to anyone who may have witnessed the collision to come forward. Road users who may have camera footage (including dash-cam) and were travelling on the R458 between Gort and Crusheen around the time of the collision are asked to make this footage available to investigating Gardaí.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Ennis Garda Station on 065 6848100, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station. Investigations are ongoing.
Mayor of the Ennis Muncipal District, Cllr Mary Howard (FG) said it was “an unimaginable loss” for the Chambers and Lee families. “No parent should ever have to face the silence left behind by a child who should have come home. I am thinking of his family, whose world has shifted in an instant, and of the friends who shared his laughter, his plans, and his everyday presence, now forced to make sense of an absence that feels impossible”.
She added, “May those who loved him be surrounded by care, patience, and gentleness in the days ahead. May they be given space to grieve, to remember, and to hold onto each other when the weight feels unbearable. And may we, as a community, pause to acknowledge this life that mattered deeply, and the profound sorrow left in its wake”.
Funeral arrangements are to be announced in the coming days.
