![\"Thomas](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/01e13527-7ac1-49f7-9e77-db950879bb97.jpg\")
<\/p>\n16-year-old Thomas \u2018TJ\u2019 Chambers died at the scene of a single-vehicle crash involving a tractor on Saturday, December 27.<\/p>\n
The crash happened on the R458 at Bunnahow, north of Crusheen, Co Clare, at 2pm. He was the only occupant of the vehicle.<\/p>\n
TJ, who was from the Newhall area of Ballyea, will be laid to rest on Friday, January 2.<\/p>\n
He will be reposing at St. John the Baptist Church, Ballyea (V95YV66) on Thursday evening January 1, from 3pm with prayers at 6pm.<\/p>\n
Requiem Mass will take place on Friday January 2 at 1pm, followed by burial in Ballyea Church grounds.<\/p>\n
A traffic system will be in operation for Thursday evening enter via, Darragh Cross and Tiermaclane Cross and Exit via Newhall Cross.<\/p>\n
TJ\u2019s mother Suzanne, who runs G Nine Boutique in Ennis, asked people to \u201cplease say a prayer\u201d as she informed customers that the boutique would be closed until further notice.<\/p>\n
She said: \u201cG Nine Boutique will be closed until further notice.<\/p>\n
\u201cPlease say a prayer and think of us to help us get through the next few days.\u201d<\/p>\n
TJ was a talented hurler with his local team Ballyea GAA, and his death came just hours before a Tractor Run fundraiser for the club was due to take place.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Thomas ‘TJ’ Chambers<\/p>\n
The club shared a tribute to TJ which read: \u201cWe in Ballyea GAA respectfully acknowledge TJs family’s wish for privacy while they try to absorb what has happened and the sudden loss of their beloved TJ.<\/p>\n
\u201cPlease know that you are constantly in our thoughts and prayers as the entire club and community stands with you in quiet support and solidarity.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe extend our deepest sympathies to Suzanne, Tom\u00e1s, Caoimhe, Laoise, his grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, teammates and friends. We are all heartbroken at the loss of TJ.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt just 16, TJ had already made such a positive impact on our club, not just as a very promising hurler but he was also helpful, kind, respectful and genuine. He was known for his strong work ethic especially in his love of farming and in the backs on the hurling field. He will remain a treasured teammate and friend and his absence will be deeply felt throughout our club and community forever.<\/p>\n
\u201cTJ will always be remembered as part of Ballyea GAA and will live on in the hearts of all who were lucky enough to have known him in his short life.<\/p>\n
\u201cBed of Heaven to you TJ. Sleep tight and rest in peace.\u201d<\/p>\n
Other figures have paid tribute to TJ following the tragic crash.<\/p>\n
\u201cFirst and foremost, my thoughts are very much with his parents and his two sisters. They’re facing an unimaginable reality,\u201d said mayor of the Ennis municipal district, Fine Gael councillor Mary Howard.<\/p>\n
\u201cLast night I spoke with quite a few young people that would have known him through GAA and through school and I suppose the reality for them is sinking in. I’m thinking of those, his wider family, his friends, his classmates, his teachers. They’re just trying to process this loss.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was going off to do the tractor run, in great form with his family and this most horrendous accident happens.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs I said to anybody who I’ve spoken with, we all need to come together with compassion and support the family.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms Howard added: \u201cIt’s really heartbreaking. It’s a parent’s worst nightmare.\u201d<\/p>\n
TJ was a student at St Flannan\u2019s College in Ennis, 8km from Ballyea.<\/p>\n
Fr Pat Malone, one of the parish priests for Clarecastle and Ballyea, said: \u201cHis family would be very well known and respected in the community.<\/p>\n
\u201cTJ was a lovely young fellow. And the young lads who he went to school with and played in teams are very, very shocked over the whole thing.<\/p>\n
\u201cBallyea is a very tight community and it will be very supportive of the family in this situation, but it is very shocked about what has happened.\u201d<\/p>\n
TJ is predeceased by his grandfather Christy Lee, uncle Sean Chambers. He was cherished and much loved by his heartbroken parents Tom\u00e1s and Suzanne (nee Lee), his adored sisters Caoimhe and Laoise, his grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, relatives and a wide circle of friends.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"16-year-old Thomas \u2018TJ\u2019 Chambers died at the scene of a single-vehicle crash involving a tractor on Saturday, December…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":220110,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[42,13131,43,40,38,41,39],"class_list":{"0":"post-220109","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-headlines","8":"tag-headlines","9":"tag-jessica-mercer","10":"tag-news","11":"tag-top-news","12":"tag-top-stories","13":"tag-topnews","14":"tag-topstories"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/220109","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=220109"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/220109\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/220110"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=220109"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=220109"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=220109"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}