Another cousin of the Republic of Ireland striker Robbie Keane has died after he and his brother were overcome by toxic fumes as they worked in a sewer.
Stephen Harris, 34, died in Beaumont hospital, Dublin, at 9am on Friday. His brother Alan Harris died on Wednesday.
The pair had been inspecting underground pipes, some of which were understood to be 20ft below the surface, on the Drumnigh Woods housing estate in the Portmarnock area. Questions centre on whether the men were overcome by methane gas as they began initial assessments of the work to be done on the sewers.
Keane paid tribute to his cousin on Facebook. He wrote: “With a heavy heart I write this. May Stephen rest in peace. Once again I would like to thank you all for your kind messages and the love and support you have shown my family.”
On Thursday, before Stephen Harris’s death, Keane wrote: “As you can imagine it’s been a very difficult time for our family may Alan RIP and we continue to pray for Stephen thanks everyone for your kind messages and support.”
Alan Harris was the owner of DrainTech, a company specialising in drainage clearance and pipe and sewer unblocking in the Dublin region for about 20 years.
Investigations by the garda and the Health and Safety Authority are continuing. A garda spokesman said: “The scene of the incident is still preserved for investigation purposes.”
Keane did not speak about the tragedy as he trained with the Republic squad earlier this week in Malahide, a few miles from the scene. Ireland are due to face Scotland in a Euro 2016 qualifier on Saturday evening, and the Republic’s manager, Martin O’Neill, will let Keane decide whether he takes part in the match.
“It was obviously very bad news this morning as well,” O’Neill said on Friday. “So he is not feeling great, I must admit. It is obviously very difficult for the family. He is quite down at the moment. I am hoping he will come round. Whether he feels he wants to participate in the game tomorrow, it will be entirely his decision.”
He said Keane had trained as normal with the Ireland squad. “I don’t think you could ever question his professionalism. It is how he is feeling within himself as much as anything else. He is not great, not great at all.”
Alan Harris’s widow, Tracy Glynn Harris, posted on Facebook that she had lost her “best friend and soulmate”. She wrote: “My heart has been shattered into a million places yet again. Thank you all for the kind words.”
