"Rest in peace, our fallen handsome boy" - Mother's funeral tribute to son killed in train accident
The 12-year-old was tragically killed when the car he was in was struck by a train outside Ballyhaunis
On a Tuesday afternoon in September, Mayo came to a standstill under a cloud of sadness as Saint Patrick’s Church in Cloonfad came together for the funeral of 12-year-old Eoin Doyle.
The Ballyhaunis native’s tragic and untimely passing occurred on Thursday, September 3, after a car in which he was travelling was struck by a train in the townland of Kiltybo. His father, Declan, was also in the vehicle and was taken to hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.
Eoin had just begun sixth class with his classmates in Cloonfad National School. That evening, he had attended GAA training in Ballyhaunis, and they had just dropped a friend home before the collision.
The week before, he and his twin sister Saoirse, alongside parents Declan and Elaine, were photographed with Sam Maguire and his hero Jack Coyne.
The family, and Eoin himself, were steeped in the local community. Eoin played soccer with Cloonfad United, GAA with Ballyhaunis, golf at Ballyhaunis Golf Club, and ran for Claremorris AC, where he had the fastest 60-metre sprint in Mayo for his age category.
Therefore, the queues on Clare Street outside Donnelan’s Funeral Home on the eve of the funeral were huge as people extended sympathies to the Doyle and Corcoran families.
The following day, the pews in Saint Patrick’s Church, Cloonfad, were full of mourners coming to pay their respects and offer their support to his wide circle of family and friends.
Ahead of the funeral Mass, a photo frame containing a photograph of the family with the Sam Maguire Cup, a pair of football boots, and a wreath were placed on top of Eoin’s coffin.
“This is a tragedy which has touched the hearts of a nation,” Father Stephen Farragher stated in his early address to the congregation.
Ger introduced the gifts brought to the altar, symbolising the many passions Eoin had in life.
Andy brought forward a soccer ball and a Manchester United jersey. “If there was a ball nearby, Eoin was kicking it, inside or outside; it didn't matter to him.”
Hair gel and socks were brought forward by Isa. “His hair had to be just right. He was often found fixing himself and tidying it until he was happy with it.”
Jessica brought photographs of Eoin’s grandparents, Pat and Marguerite Doyle and Ger and Mary Corcoran. “He shared a deep and loving bond with them, and they held a very special place in his life.”
Next, a photograph of Eoin’s dog Bella was brought to the altar by Jessica.
Lauren brought a tablet and PS5 controller up the aisle, representing the hours Eoin spent playing with his friends and cousins. “Passing his room, you would often hear him laughing and chatting with them over Roblox and sometimes long after he was supposed to be asleep.”
Lastly, Eoin’s twin sister Saoirse brought forward a photograph of the pair. “Eoin loved Saoirse dearly, and the special bond they shared as twins will always remain.”
The homily was also given by Fr Farragher.
“Twelve years is far too short a time. No parent should ever have to say goodbye to their child. No brother or sister should have to stand at the funeral of their twin.
“Today, we don't pretend that this is anything other than devastating, but Elaine and Declan have asked that as we remember Eoin. We also celebrate his life, and that is important.
“There was so much life in Eoin. There was the Eoin who loved sport, who knew the excitement of a game, the joy of playing with others, the disappointment of a defeat and the satisfaction of a win.
“I was also informed in the past few days that Eoin loved Lego. It wasn't just something to pass the time.
“He had that wonderful ability to look at a pile of pieces and see possibilities that other people couldn't see. He could build, create, figure things out, and make something where at first there seemed to be nothing.
“Perhaps there's something fitting in remembering that today, because all of us are looking at a life that feels shattered into pieces.
“We cannot make sense of what has happened. We cannot rebuild the future we imagined for Eoin, a future that contained so many possibilities. But we hold together the pieces of the life he did have.
“We can remember that he was not simply a 12-year-old boy who died; he was Eoin. He was Elaine and Declan's son, Saoirse's twin. There's something especially profound about the bond between twins.
“Saoirse and Eoin began life together. From the very beginning, there was another person beside each of them who shared their earliest days.
“Nothing can take away the fact that Saoirse, you and Eoin are forever a part of each other's story, because you carry him with you.
“For Elaine and Declan, there will be a lifetime of moments when you will instinctively expect to hear Eoin's voice, see him coming through the door, ask him about a match, see what he is building, or wonder what he is doing.
“That absence will hurt, and it is right that it hurts, because grief is the price we pay for love.
“His classmates and teachers will remember him not as a photograph or a name on a list, but as the boy who was there, the boy they knew.
“Years from now, someone will tell a story about Eoin. Every time people look at that lovely family photograph with Sam Maguire, a special memory will be evoked.
“And when they do, for a moment, he will be present again. Today as people of faith, we also bring Eoin to God. We bring with him all that we cannot understand.
“Perhaps, amid all the sadness, we can allow ourselves to smile today, not because we are no longer grieving, but because Eoin gave us plenty of reasons to smile.
“Twelve years was nowhere near long enough, but it was 12 years of Eoin being part of this world, and that is a gift that cannot be taken away. So today we say goodbye to Eoin, but we do not say goodbye to everything that he means to us.
“We will carry his memory. We will tell his stories. We will speak his name.”
The prayers of the faithful were read aloud by six people. The third was read by Eoin’s twin sister, Saoirse.
“For my twin brother Eoin. We came into the world together and have always had each other. May God look after you always.”
After the reception of Communion, Eoin’s stepbrother Conor read a short spoken poem.
The funeral then heard from Eoin’s mother, Elaine.
“March 2014, a Monday morning, we had to be in Castlebar Hospital for seven o'clock to check in for a planned cesarean section, and at 9.42, Eoin had arrived into the world, followed by Saoirse two minutes later at 9.44 am.
“Very efficient and quick. He was just two minutes older, but he did not let her forget it ever. It was truly the happiest day of our lives.
“As a baby, Eoin had something called silent reflux, which meant he spent most of his first year on someone's shoulder.
“It was lucky that there were lots of shoulders for Eoin, from his dad and grandparents to his aunts and uncles. As a result, he never slept in a cot.
“He always loved having someone to lie in with him to fall asleep every night, and that continued until some time last year. I thought it would never end, but I'll give anything now to have another night to lie in with Eoin.
“Eoin had so many loves in his life, and sport was one of them. From an early age, he was kicking a ball around the house, and this continued for 12 years. Anywhere we went, there had to be a ball brought in the boot of the car.
“We couldn't leave early enough for training, and we were often left waiting in the car for him to come out at the end.
“He had his first training session the other night with the St Jarlath’s Under-13 Football team in Ballyhaunis.
“He was a bit reluctant and nervous to go. He didn't want to go. In reality, he was pretty anxious about going, but when he was on his way home, Declan told me afterwards that he was really excited about how well it had actually gone.
“Eoin loved style. Everything had to be slim fit. I bought the ten to eleven polo shirts for going back to school, and on the day we went back, they were too big. The nine- to ten-year-old ones had to come out again, and I found one I hadn't thrown out.
“That had to go on, the hole in it and all; it didn't matter. He had his own style, especially true when it came to his hair. A bad haircut had to be covered by a hat, and his fringe was always perfect.
“Declan could never get his head around spending €20 on the barber and not looking a whole lot different coming out. He knew what he liked, and he was so gorgeous he could carry it off.
“Eoin loved his friends and his cousins and the fun they had together. Whether it was Fortnite on PlayStation with Andrew, or trying to get into the Graune Pet Farm with Saoirse, Sophia, and Charlotte, he loved hanging out with his best buddy, Zachary.
“He always had great ideas for doing fun things that you weren't allowed to do. Lately I heard them refer to him as ‘Doyler’, and this was kind of a sign to me that he was getting older. He was growing up.
“He loved nothing better than sleepovers with his cousins. Síomha coming from Donegal, creating TikToks with Conor and Aoibhinn on Nanny's iPad when she didn't know, or playing Roblox with Lauren and Andy.
“Eoin was deeply loved by his family, adoring grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins, but most especially by his friend, sister Saoirse. She adored him.
“He was her boy, often saving him from trouble by helping him fill his water bottle for training, or finding his shoes in a hurry.
“They could spend ages playing Lego or talking at night. Plenty of disagreements, but she'd a hug for him every night. She's truly lost her other half, our precious little girl.
“The loss of our beautiful boy has no positives at all, albeit that it highlights the importance of kindness to others in our daily life.
“Our home is changed forever. It's an empty bedroom. We count on Eoin to bring us strength and watch over us every day, and I feel he's doing that already.
“Rest in peace, our fallen handsome boy, until we meet you again.”
After the Funeral Mass, Eoin was laid to rest in Ballyhaunis. May his gentle soul rest in peace.