Mates gather to remember Carl Delaney after worker’s tragic death on Inpex construction site

A SOMBRE mood hung over the Palmerston Tavern on Sunday as the death of Inpex worker Carl Delaney slowly sunk in among family and friends

Dave O'Dowd, Pete Coleman, Danny Gallagher, Neil Burcombe, Chris Naughton, David Pedley and Noel Jonsen gather for a wake to remember Inpex worker Carl Delaney. Picture: KATRINA BRIDGEFORD

A SOMBRE mood hung over the Palmerston Tavern on Sunday as the death of Inpex worker Carl Delaney slowly sunk in among family and friends.

Mr Delaney, 56, died at work on Wednesday night, becoming the first worker to lose his life on site at the $50 billion mega-project.

Many of Mr Delaney’s close mates, most of whom he worked alongside at Inpex, wore the colours of his beloved Manchester United at yesterday afternoon’s wake.

Mr Delaney’s mates have described his passion for his hometown team as coming second only to his family.

Danny Gallagher said many were still coming to terms with the reality they would not see their mate again, or hear him wax lyrical about the Red Devils.

“We’re still trying to come to terms with it, trying to get our heads around it all,” Mr Gallagher said.

Those at the tavern dug deep to raise money for Mr Delaney’s wife, Terry.

Carl Delaney lost his life at the Inpex site on Wednesday. PICTURE: Facebook

Many of Mr Delaney’s workmates at Whittens, as well as other workers on the Ichthys project, last week pledged to put a day’s pay towards a fund set up to help support his family, for whom he was the main breadwinner.

Scant detail has emerged about the circumstances surrounding Mr Delaney’s death, with NT Worksafe and coronial investigations still being carried out.

Workers told the NT News there had been an uneasy atmosphere on site in the days since Mr Delaney died and some were reluctant to work at all.

Workers and unions remain critical of what is seen as slipping safety standards on the project, and a sense that workers have been pressured into rushing jobs since it became apparent the project was well behind schedule and over budget.

Tributes continue to flow in from around the world for Mr Delaney, as news of his death spread among family, friends and former co-workers. Mr Delaney, originally from the UK, moved to Darwin with his wife to work on the Ichthys project.

“So sorry to hear the news ... these things should never happen to good people,” a family friend wrote online.