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Heroic homeless man drowns trying to rescue stranger in Dublin’s River Liffey

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Heroic homeless man drowns trying to rescue stranger in Dublin’s River Liffey

A homeless man who drowned after jumping into the River Liffey to rescue a stranger who was trying to take his own life performed “a very courageous and heroic act,” an inquest has heard.

James Nicholl (41), a native of The Curragh, Co Kildare and former soldier, died in the early hours of April 8, 2023 while attempting to help another man who was struggling in the water near Grattan Bridge at Capel Street at around 1.30am.




Mr Nicholl had been living in temporary accommodation at the Paramount Hotel in Temple Bar with his partner, Donna Walker, when he came across a man in distress about his friend jumping in the river. The bodies of both men were recovered from the Liffey several hours later.

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The other victim was Modestas Banys (21), the son of Lithuanian parents who came originally from Monaghan but who had been living in Garynisk Square in Tallaght while studying in Dublin.

The late Modestas Banys who died in the River Liffey on April 8th 2023.(Image: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin)

An inquest into the deaths of both men at Dublin District Coroner’s Court on Friday heard Mr Banys had made suicidal references in a series of texts to a friend earlier that night. The friend, Johnny Friel, gave evidence of jumping into a taxi from his home in Stoneybatter after receiving worrying text messages from Mr Banys at around 1am.

Mr Friel said he had initially contacted his friend to question why Mr Banys had posted a message on Instagram at 12.42am which stated: “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean any harm to anyone who came in my path.”

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