People gathering in Tullamore last Friday for the vigil organised in response to the tragic deaths of Aidan Moffitt and Michael Snee in Sligo.

Tullamore hosts LGBT vigil after shocking deaths in Sligo

Adrian Cusack

Published: Fri 22 Apr 2022, 3:51 PM

A regional support service for the LGBT+ community organised a vigil in Tullamore last Friday evening following the horrific deaths of Aidan Moffitt and Michael Snee in Sligo.

The gathering in O'Connor Square was arranged by the Midlands LGBT+ Project, and its community development coordinator, Christina Fitzharris, said the service fielded an increased number of calls in the aftermath of the shocking events in the North West.

"This has been a very difficult time for the whole community, especially in places like Offaly which have so many similarities with a rural location like Sligo," said Christina.

"I think a lot of people here saw themselves in what happened, which made for an especially sombre week. We did see an increase in calls last week, which was to be expected."

Aidan Moffitt (41), a native of Roscommon, was killed at his home in Sligo on April 10, while the life of Michael Snee (58) was taken in similarly violent circumstances two days later. A 22-year-old has since been charged with the murders of both men.

The vigil in Tullamore last Friday was attended by approximately 60 people and featured speeches along with music provided by a harpist, Kieu Conroy.

Harpist Kieu Conroy playing at the vigil in Tullamore last week.

The Midlands LGBT+ Project has been up and running for over a year now, and it will be holding its Offaly launch party in the outdoor area at Hugh Lynch's pub, Tullamore, this Saturday, April 23, from 1pm to 4.30pm.

"We were originally established as the Laois LGBT project and very quickly became the Midlands LGBT Project, so now we work over Laois, Offaly and Kildare," explained Christina.

"We've been having some services in Offaly for a few months now, but this is our official launch into the county."

In addition to the free, family-friendly launch event on Saturday afternoon, the Midlands LGBT+ Project is hosting a 'Drag Queen Spectacular' in Hugh Lynch's on Saturday night, from 9pm.

Tickets for the over-18s event, priced €9, can be booked on the Eventbrite website by searching for 'Offaly Drag Queen Spectacular'.