The chairman of the Board of Governors at the Royal School Armagh and Church of Ireland primate, Archbishop Robin Eames, has spoken of the Ireland under-19 rugby player John McCall as "a young man of immense gifts and promise who was an inspiration to the whole school family".
The 18-year-old died while playing for Ireland in South Africa on Saturday.
"Apart from his promising rugby career he was planning to study architecture at Queen's. His warm personality and great sense of humour will long be remembered by the school as we continue to honour his memory. His tragic death has affected us all and our deepest sympathy is expressed to his parents Ian and Carolyn and his brother and sister James and Rebecca," Archbishop Eames said.
The Royal School, which was founded in 1608, is a Church of Ireland foundation.
The Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, Mr O'Donoghue, yesterday described the death of John McCallas "a dreadful tragedy". He extended deepest sympathy "to his family and his colleagues on the Irish team".
Mr McCall's funeral service will take place at the Mall Presbyterian Church in Armagh. Further details were awaited last night.
The Royal School deputy headmaster, Mr Robert Cardwell, told The Irish Times that they had "struggled through the day" yesterday, with special assemblies for the junior and the middle school, and for sixth formers.
He praised staff for putting their own feelings on hold while attending to the pupils.
Celebrations of the school's senior girls' hockey team winning the All-Ireland final in Dublin on Saturday had been put on hold.
Books of condolence at the school had already been filled.
There had also been visitors from St Catherine's school "across the hill" to sympathise. The late captain of the Tyrone county football team, Cormac McAnallen, had been teaching there before his death earlier this month. Then sympathisers from the Royal School had visited St Catherine's.
"John was not just a rugby player, he was a very strong artist. He was, as his father Ian has said, 'the finest boy in the school' ... it's hard to manage something like this. There is no blueprint," Mr Cardwell said.
