Comedian Brendan O’Carroll has volunteered to cover the funeral costs of a man who has been lying in a morgue since he was found dead in Ennis, Co Clare, on Christmas Day.
The situation involving the man, who has been named locally as Marek Skiba (51) from Poland, came to light on Friday when homelessness campaigner Josie O'Brien informed Joe Duffy on RTÉ's Liveline.
She said she first met Mr Skiba in 2008 at a Christmas dinner she cooks each year for the homeless. He was well known around Ennis, Co Clare.
“His body has just been sitting in a morgue in Limerick since he was found on Christmas Day,” said Ms O’Brien, adding it had not been possible to secure a burial for the man due to the cost of the funeral ceremony.
Ennis parish priest Fr Tom Hogan said Mr Skiba was “a very inoffensive man who kept to himself”. He added he “wasn’t in any way difficult and had a small group of friends”.
It is understood Mr Skiba came to Mallow, Co Cork, 15 years ago and was working in the construction industry. Bernie (64), who did want her surname published, told The Irish Times she took him into her home at that time as he had nowhere else to stay.
“He worked in construction,” she said. “He was a very very nice fella but he used to drink a little bit. He was very good-hearted and everybody liked him.
“He stayed with me in Mallow when he came from Poland. I knew the construction man and he asked me to put him up for three weeks because he had nowhere to stay. So I said I would, and he stayed with me for two years.”
At that point, Mr Skiba moved to Ennis, but Bernie said they “stayed in touch” and she would travel to Ennis to visit him. “I used to go down and see him as much as I could,” she said.
Bernie said Mr Skiba suffered a heart attack at his home in Ennis. “He was found on the floor by his Polish friend who came in on Christmas evening and found him dead on the floor,” she said. “He wasn’t really able to walk that well and had been quite unwell recently.”
A spokesman for the Garda said a postmortem has been carried and a file is being prepared for the coroner. It’s understood gardaí were called to the scene of a sudden death but foul play is not suspected.
Ms O’Brien said nobody had come forward with the funds to cover the costs of Mr Skiba’s funeral and burial arrangements.
“They can’t bury him without the money,” she said. “The funeral director wouldn’t do it unless he is paid up front. He has buried a few homeless people but he hasn’t been paid for them so I don’t blame him.”
She said Clare County Council had offered a plot in Ennis for the burial, while local undertaker Cyril Cusack said he was prepared to organise the funeral arrangements for free.
“I am willing to offer my services for free. I’m new in business in Ennis but I want to do my part to help out. We will give him a dignified burial.”
Ms O’Brien said she was “delighted” with Mr Cusack’s offer, but at the end of the segment, Joe Duffy told listeners comedian Brendan O’Carroll, who is currently in Florida, had contacted the show and offered to cover the costs.
“He’s been on to us from Florida saying he will pay for the burial of that Polish man from Ennis,” said Mr Duffy. “It looks like we’ve enough support down there at the moment. He says he will make all the arrangement and he will cover whatever needs to be covered.”
