This article is from page 4 of the 2013-05-21 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 4 JPG
THE homeless Czech national who has been described as “a real legend of a man” who died on the streets of Ennis after living in a public toilet in the town is finally being laid to rest this week. Fifty-two-year-old Josef Pavelka is to be buried in Drumcliffe Cemetery this Tuesday, following the removal of his remains to Ennis Cathedral on Monday evening where he was received by Fr Ger Fitzgerald. This final resting place for Mr Pavelka comes over two weeks after he died after efforts to repatriate the man’s body to his native country failed. With the help of the Czech Embassy in Dublin and Interpol, contact was made with a daughter and sister of Mr Pavelka concerning the repa- triation of the body.
However, his family members confirmed that they did not want his remains returned.
The remains of Mr Pavelka have remained at the morgue at the Midwest Regional Hospital in Limerick since his death on May 4 in a laneway just off O’Connell Street in Ennis.
“The people of Ennis will be delighted to hear they will be able to pay their respects to Josef as we have had numerous requests from people over the last 10 days asking will he be laid to rest here,” said Administrator of Ennis Parish.
“Josef was a believer and a churchgoer and he probably knew more people in Ennis than he did in his na- tive place,” he added.
Along with his friend, 35-year-old Polish national Piotr Baram, Mr Pavelka’s plight received national attention when district court judge, Patrick Durkan, said it was a scandal that he was living in a public toilet in the Market area of Ennis.
Speaking to