TRIBUTES have been pouring in for a Glasgow man who died suddenly, just two days after coming home for a visit from his home in Australia.
Paul O’Donnell, who would have turned 30 on Sunday (July 12) passed away last week. His body was found on Glasgow’s Memel Street at around 2.30am on the night of July 9.
Glasgow police are currently treating his death as unexplained, which has left his family and friends in limbo as they grieve his untimely passing.
The popular Celtic FC fanatic, who was known as Pod, came from a prominent Irish family in the area and was a member of the Sons of Donegal Celtic Supporters Club. With a Donegal father and a second-generation Irish mother, he was always immensely proud of his roots in Ireland.
Paul’s lifelong friend, Anton Gallagher, told The Irish Post of the devastation at his death.
“We’re all in a lot of shock,” he said. “Me and Pod had been through school together, he was a couple of years younger than me, but I knew him for years.”
Paul played Gaelic football for local club Tír Conaill Harps – and the club paid tribute to Paul, who played right up to minor age with the team.
“On behalf of Tír Conaill Harps we would like to pass on our condolences to the family and friends of Paul O'Donnell (POD) who was a former member of our club - RIP Paul,” they wrote in a Facebook statement.
After he left school, Paul went on to become a joiner and worked in Scotland for many years, including with his uncle at Queen’s Park Builders in Glasgow. However, in 2013 a sunnier lifestyle called him and Paul decided to join thousands of other Irishmen in Australia.
“By all accounts he was loving it over there,” Mr Gallagher revealed. “His intention was to come back to spend his 30th birthday with his family.”
“He was home for about six weeks in total and he was going to go over to Ireland to see all his family over there in about two weeks,” Mr Gallagher added.
Sadly, Paul would die before his family had the chance to come together for the occasion.
“He was stone daft – always the life and soul of the party,” Mr Gallagher fondly remembered. “He was just always mad.”
“It’s always the person that you tell these stories about that this happens to,” he added.
His sudden death has left the Irish community in Glasgow in shock – and so far, there is no explanation as to how he passed away.
“He came back on Monday night and he went out on the Wednesday,” Mr Gallagher said. “And he never came back.”
“His family found out the following morning that his body had been found and I got a call that afternoon from one of our friends telling me. I just couldn’t believe it, it was such a shock.”
“We still don’t know how he died so we’re all a bit in shock.”
Mr Gallagher had been looking forward to catching up with Paul over a pint at the weekend to discuss Celtic's friendly clash against Real Sociedad but instead found himself grieving the loss of his friend.
A spokesperson for Greater Glasgow Police told The Irish Post: “At around 2.30am on the ninth of July, the body of a man was found on Memel Street in Glasgow. At this time, the death is being treated as unexplained.”
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