skip to main content

Funeral of 'devoted' father and 'one of a kind' son held in Portlaoise

Coffins carrying the remains of Eoin Fitzpatrick and his son Dylan are taken from the church following the funeral mass
Coffins carrying the remains of Eoin Fitzpatrick and his son Dylan are taken from the church following the funeral mass

The funeral has taken place in Co Laois of a father and son who were killed in a road collision while on holiday in Turkey last week.

Eoin Fitzpatrick, 35, and his 10-year-old son Dylan, from Portlaoise, died in the crash last Monday in Alanya.

Hundreds of mourners gathered at St Peter and Paul's Church in Portlaoise for the funeral of the "devoted" father and his son.

Members from the Portlaoise GAA community formed a guard of honour and Dylan's classmates held flowers outside the church as the two coffins were carried into the church.

Family members described Mr Fitzpatrick as a gifted sportsman who wore the town and county GAA colours with pride, and who was "the master of one-liners".

Dylan loved to "let his imagination run wild" and was a sweet child who was "one of a kind", mourners were told.

The parish priest said the tragedy had left their families "heartbroken and bewildered", and the whole community was left "in shock and united in sympathy".

He expressed his condolences to Mr Fitzpatrick's son and Dylan's older brother Cian, who had been on holiday with them in Turkey, and said that Dylan's mother Claire was "heartbroken" by the loss.

Claire described her "beautiful" son Dylan as special and witty, and loved "the simple things in life".

"As my family would say, it was Dylan's world and we were all just living in it," she told the congregation.

"He loved to dance, he loved to colour, he loved to read, he loved to swim.

"He loved trains, his favourite movies were Matilda and Paddington 2.

"He always held my hand and I will forever hold him in my heart.

"His best friend was his daddy, whom he loved so dearly because he was, and always will be, the most amazing father to him and Cian. I hope they're holding each other so tight wherever they are.

"I'll end this with saying something that Dylan and I would always say to each other: I love you, I love you more, I love you most."

Mr Fitpatrick's sisters Ciara, Maryse and Aideen, and his friend David, also addressed the congregation.

Bishop Denis Nulty expressed sympathy to Cian and Claire, Mr Fitzpatrick's parents and Dylan's grandparents Rita and Frank Fitzpatrick, Dylan's maternal grandparents Liz and Andy Dowling, and Mr Fitpatrick's partner Suzie and her family.

Items brought up to the altar to represent Dylan's life included a model train, a book and a painting, as art was described as the "gateway into his imagination and how he saw the world".

Items brought up to represent his father included a hurl, as he was a "skilled" and "gifted" player, and a Manchester United jersey.

The priest said the "huge congregation", spilling out over the grounds of the church to attend the service, showed locals' desire to "embrace and support" the family whose hearts had been "truly broken" by the loss and the popularity of both father and son.

"The boys are deeply mourned by their utterly heartbroken families," he said.