A man and his 10-year-old son who died during a holiday in Turkey have been remembered at their funeral Mass as two people who were living “young, full lives”.
Eoin Fitzpatrick (35), a father of two, and his youngest son Dylan (10) died when a moped they were travelling on collided with a bus in Alanya earlier this month. The pair from Portlaoise are understood to have been carrying out a final errand before returning to Ireland when the crash occurred.
Claire Dowling told mourners that her son Dylan was a sweet child who “loved the simple things in life”. She said his best friend “was his Daddy, who he loved so dearly,” adding that Mr Fitzpatrick was the “most amazing father” to his boys.
Ms Dowling said Dylan’s favourite movies were Matilda and Paddington 2. “He loved to dance, he loved to colour, he loved to read, he loved to swim, he loved trains,” she said.
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She recalled a phrase she and Dylan would often say to each other: “I love you, I love you more, I love you most”.
“He always held my hand and I will forever hold him in my heart,” Ms Dowling said.
Msgr John Byrne told the congregation at St Peter and Paul’s Church in Portlaoise that they were gathering on a “very sad occasion”.
Symbols of Mr Fitzpatrick’s life placed on his coffin included a hurl, as he had been a “gifted” player and a Portlaoise GAA jersey “which he wore with pride” during his playing days, Msgr Byrne said. Other items included a Manchester United jersey as well as a model car to signify his “passion for cars”.
Dylan’s classmates from Scoil Bhríde National School lined up at the door of the church as the coffins were brought in. The Mass heard that Dylan was a “treasured pupil” and was due to go into fourth class.
His teenage brother Cian’s teammates from Portlaoise GAA club, the local soccer club and Laois GAA stood in a guard of honour outside the church. Cian was on the holiday with his father and brother but was not involved in the crash.
Msgr Byrne said the local community was left in “palpable shock” at the deaths of Dylan and his father and had united in its support for their friends and family, Ms Dowling, Cian and Mr Fitzpatrick’s partner, Suzie.
“All of their hearts are truly broken,” he said. “There are no words that can mend hearts broken by a tragedy like this.”
The Mass heard Mr Fitzpatrick worked in a car parts shop in Portarlington and had an “incredible circle of friends”. He was remembered as someone with an “incredible sense of humour”, who was the “master of one liners” as well as being a kind friend and a devoted father, whose boys were “his world”.
