‘Aaron Devlin has changed the world for many’ says Parish Priest

The wider GAA community united in sorrow this morning to pay their final respects to Ballinderry GAA footballer, Aaron Devlin.

Hundreds of people from right across County Derry and beyond gathered at St Patrick’s Church in Ballinderry where the 23 year-old physiotherapist was laid to rest after requiem Mass.

Aaron died on Thursday afternoon after what is believed to have been a rare strain of meningitis.

There was a sea of blue as members of Ballinderry Shamrocks, GAC linked arm in arm to perform a guard of honour as the funeral cortege made its way to the chapel, led by a lone piper.

Officiating the service, Ballinderry Parish Priest, Fr. Peter Donnelly remarked, “We are gathered here in huge numbers, I have never before seen such a huge crowd gathered at this church. “Just 23, Aaron Devlin has changed the world for many people and the way they see and value life itself. “For a young man he was a very complete human being, a young Christian, a gentleman,” said Fr. Donnelly.