Limerick man killed in fatal hit-and-run named locally as Irish champion boxer Kevin Sheehy

THE YOUNG man killed in a hit-and-run in Limerick city this Monday morning has been named locally as heavyweight boxing champion Kevin Sheehy. 

The tragic incident occurred at around 4.40am on Monday on Hyde Road, which remains closed as gardai investigate the matter. 

Kevin, 20, was one of Limerick's and Ireland's rising boxing stars, having retained his national U22 amateur heavyweight boxing title earlier this year, and claiming the senior elite title at just 19 in December 2017. 

Our thoughts are with the family and friends of young Kevin Sheehy who tragically died last night in Limerick

The St Francis's heavyweight was a ferocious fighter inside the ring and a gentleman outside it, Irish boxing has lost a star in Kevin

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam pic.twitter.com/OFwCWY3HIu

— Irish-Boxing.com (@Irishboxingcom) July 1, 2019

Kevin was five-time national boxing champion at youth and elite level, and was tipped by High Performance to be an Olympic hopeful in 2024.  

The St Francis Boxing Club star had just returned from the UK, having claimed the well-known Hull Box Cup. 

The high-ranking boxer competed at international events all around Europe, particularly Belarus, Belgium and the United Kingdom over the past year. 

Numerous tributes are pouring in for the champion boxer on social media. Many friends have taken to Facebook, describing the young athlete as a talented boxer with a "massive future ahead of him". 

Former world amateur boxing champion, and professional boxer Ray Moylette paid tribute to Kevin on Twitter, describing him as a "real talent who left his mark on Irish boxing". 

Gardai at Roxboro Road are appealing for information following a fatal hit and run in the early hours of this Monday morning.

"The vehicle believed to be involved in the incident, a black Mitsubishi Shogun jeep, failed to remain at the scene. The road remains closed currently and diversions are in place," added a statement from the Garda Press Office.

Gardaí are appealing for anyone with information on the incident, particularly anyone in the area around the time of the collision, who may have dash cam footage, to contact them at Roxboro Road Garda Station on 061 214 340.