GLOWING tributes have been paid to a man who died in a tragic workplace accident yesterday.

Pat Lacey, aged 53, described as ‘Mr Football’ in West Cork, died following an accident at GP Wood timber processing plant at Enniskeane. He suffered fatal injuries to his head in an accident with a loader and was pronounced dead at the scene yesterday morning.

Mr Lacey had been with the company for 30 years and was described as a very valued colleague.

Chief Financial Officer at GP Wood, Pat Twomey, said Mr Lacey was much-loved. “He will be sorely missed,” Mr Twomey said.

West Cork Schoolboys League (WCSL) also said they were grieving following the death.

WCSL secretary Hugh O’Reilly said in an online post that Pat was, “for many years and to many people, a real ‘Mr Football’ in West Cork soccer circles.”

“The WCSL family have lost one of its stalwarts in Pat Lacey. We have so much to thank him for in terms of his contribution to bringing the WCSL to where we are at today. His devotion to our game, to the league and to his home club of Riverside Athletic was immeasurable.

“As well as holding the WCSL reins Pat was also the driving force in the weekly pitch blitzes for those U8-U11 being held each Saturday morning across West Cork, a forerunner to the now Saturday Hubs in Dunmanway and Scartagh. That dry sense of humour always shone through when you were around Pat; a sense of mischief about him as he would look at you over his glasses. We all will miss Pat tremendously and on behalf of each club associated with the WCSL, to his brother John, his sisters Carmel and Katrina and to his nieces and nephew, I send our sincere condolences.”

The Health and Safety Authority and gardaí are investigating the accident. Emergency services were called to the grounds of a sawmill shortly after 8am after Mr Lacey sustained serious injuries at the GP Wood manufacturing facility based in Enniskeane. Gardaí, ambulance and fire crews attended the scene but Mr Lacey was pronounced dead at the scene.

His body was taken to Cork University Hospital (CUH) for a post-mortem.