Limerick student Niall O’Brien, who died following an alleged assault in Greece, was remembered at his funeral Mass on Monday, as a “loyal, witty, warm rogue” who left his family and friends with a “treasury of love”.
The 21 year old from Castletroy, Limerick, and Broadford, Co Clare, was “at the centre of fun, having it, and creating it”, his aunt Pauline said.
Several hundred mourners looked on in silence as his coffin was shouldered into Our Lady Help of Christians Church, Milford, Limerick, draped in the jerseys of several sporting clubs for whom he played.
Friends from school, college and sports clubs performed guards of honour as the cortège travelled the short distance from his home in Castletroy to the church.
Mr O’Brien, who was going into his final year of financial maths at the University of Limerick, was holidaying on the Greek island Ios with friends, when he was the victim of an alleged fatal assault on August 30th.
Fr John Campion told those gathered, “the death of a young person is always distressing, and the death of a son, in their prime of life, is overwhelming”.
Mike O’Brien, the deceased’s father, broke down paying tribute to “Niallo” who, while only 21 when he died, “has left our family a wonderful legacy of love and joy”.