Hundreds of mourners attending the removal service of a young man who died after being attacked in Lanzarote earlier this month heard yesterday how he had only recently celebrated being named student of the year at his school.
Local parish priest Fr Paul St John told a packed church at City Quay that Derek Cumiskey, from nearby Townsend Street in Dublin's south inner city, had also celebrated turning 18 and his "debs".
Then, it was off to Lanzarote in the Canary Islands, where he met what Fr St John described as a "very violent death".
The priest said the community would need to continue to support Mr Cumiskey's family after his funeral. There had been a lot of tragedy within the local community recently, he said.
"There's no greater tragedy than the death of a young man," he added.
Mr Cumiskey was a student with special needs who had just completed his Junior Certificate at St Augustine's School in Blackrock, Co Dublin.
He died after he was allegedly attacked as he returned from a night out with friends in the holiday resort of Puerto del Carmen on August 1st.
It has since been reported that a man has been arrested on the island in connection with his death.
Mr Cumiskey was the youngest of five children, one of whom, Joanne, accompanied him on the trip to Lanzarote.
Mourners at yesterday's ceremony were led by his parents Ann and John, his sisters Karen, Martina and Joanne, and his brother John.
The funeral takes place after 10am Mass today.
Among the floral tributes was one with the name of his favourite football team "Man Utd", and another which simply stated "Son".