Sligo-Leitrim Fine Gael TD Frank Feighan has spoken of the “cloud of worry and fear” that hangs over the town of Sligo following two violent deaths and a serious attack on another man.
“The community is stunned,” he told Newstalk Breakfast.
The last few days had brought huge concern to the area. People were trying to come to terms with what had happened – the murders of two men and the other attack in which a man was so badly beaten that he lost an eye.
“The level of violence is absolutely shocking. It is something that Sligo is not used to.”
On RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland, Fine Gael community activist Blaine Gaffney, a friend of Aidan Moffitt, said it was very hard to believe what had happened, and he wanted to pay tribute to a “very intelligent, very honest and caring person”.
“He was an all round good guy. Very dignified, what has happened to him wasn’t dignified.
“I wanted to speak about Aidan as the positive person he was and not what happened to him.”
His friend had been a great political strategist and a strong advocate for the policies of the party (Fine Gael) and could always forecast election results.
Mr Moffitt had worked in the banking and insurance sector before setting up in business himself selling properties and offering advice on mortgages, life assurance, investments and pensions. “He paid great attention to detail.”
The two friends spoke by telephone recently when Mr Moffitt was on holiday in Spain. Mr Gaffney became aware of the death of his friend when he saw his name on social media. He had initially been concerned when he saw photographs of the crime scene and recognised the street where Mr Moffitt lived.
It was “chilling and scary” that there could be a hate aspect to the crime as his friend was someone who “lit up the world” and it was difficult to associate his name with the word hate.
A lot of people in the town of Sligo were now scared, added Mr Gaffney, and he hoped there would be developments in the next 24 hours. “The whole place is in a state of shock.”
