Brooklyn student killed in Clare crash

By Patrick Markey

An Irish student whose father is a prominent figure in New York City’s Irish-American community was among three victims killed in a head-on car collision on a County Clare road last week.

Sean Marsh, who was 20, died when the car he was traveling in collided with another vehicle on the Ennis-to-Tulla road near the County Clare village of Clooney.

Two of Marsh’s friends, David O’Brien and Robert Elliot, were also killed in the accident. A woman traveling in the other vehicle was also critically injured in the accident.

Marsh was born in Brooklyn and brought up in the United States, but he had recently gone to Ireland to study at a County Clare college, friends of the family said.

"He was born over here, but he had gone back to Ireland to study a couple of years ago," said Danny Moloney, owner of Liffey Van Lines in New York and a friend of the Marsh family. "He was the best kid. I couldn’t believe it. It’s just a tragic thing," he said.

Moloney said the victim’s father, Patrick Marsh, had also lost a brother and an uncle to vehicle accidents.

Patrick Marsh has been involved in city politics for many years and was a prominent member of the city’s County Clare association.

Formerly a sales executive for Aer Lingus, Marsh moved to work for State Assemblyman Martin Connor. He now works for city councilmember Angel Rodriguez.