A young GAA player who died while in Greece will be remembered for his “beautiful smile and laugh,” mourners heard at his funeral.
Rory Deegan (22) was on a working holiday when he was found unresponsive in a swimming pool on the Greek island of Zakynthos on June 25th.
Those who gathered in St Tighearnach’s Church, Cullohill, Co Laois on Tuesday afternoon to pay their respects heard that he was a young man who "simply made others feel special".
Rory was from the well-known Deegan family who run the Centra in Urlingford, Co Kilkenny.
The family are also prominent members of The Harps GAA club and Rory played in the Junior C final win over Park-Ratheniska-Timahoe last year, scoring a goal.
Symbols representing his life were brought to the altar and detailed by his sister Rachel, including his first hurl, the Cullohill National School and handball jerseys, the last Harps jersey he donned and a Limerick jersey from LIT where he studied.
Other symbols included an airline ticket, a phone and his work uniform. Many of the symbols were carried by friends he made throughout his life.
The 22-year-old’s three brothers also offered symbols of Rory’s life. Barry, offered a pair of Nike runners that Rory designed himself. Conor brought a Liverpool jersey and scarf as a reminder of their special time together as brothers on their trips to Anfield, and Jack carried a photograph of his beloved dog, Spud.
A family cousin, Fr Bobby Fletcher, told mourners that parting with Rory was a "shattering experience for his parents Joe and Diane."
Fr Fletcher quoted the author Graham Greene: “They were consumed by his presence and are devastated by his absence.”
The priest said Rory was a "great son, a great brother, a great character, and now is a great loss. Over the past few days, countless memories of Rory sporting and otherwise have been recalled. Chief among them is the memory of a young man with a fabulous smile. A big happy head. The ultimate sign of someone who loved deeply and was deeply loved."
'Shattered in an instant'
Rory's father, Joe, spoke on behalf of the family to express their gratitude to everyone involved in supporting and helping them since they lost Rory.
He recounted the day when the family were informed that their son and brother had died.
"When we heard the awful news of Rory’s passing, we were shattered in an instant. It is really hard to comprehend that we will never hear that beautiful laugh or see that beautiful smile again," Mr Deegan said.
"I will miss those intimate fist-bumps. We will miss those turn-of-phrases that only he could deliver.Life is a gift. Go and live your best life. Use every talent that you have been given. But remember, life is fragile. Never take it for granted. Look after it and treasure it.
"We as a family feel terribly cheated that Rory was taken from us so soon. But we are very grateful that he was part of our lives."
By Sarah Slater
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