Mother of Lurgan man Odhran O'Neill, who died while kayaking in Thailand, reveals locket he bought her before trip said 'Forever in my heart'

Hundreds of people, many young, turned out for the funeral of the popular Lurgan lad who died while kayaking in Thailand on December 17 last year.

The 22-year-old was found in Khao Sok National Park the next day. His body was flown home with the help of the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust last week.

-

-

At his funeral in St Peter’s Church in Lurgan on Monday a family friend read letters from Odhran’s parents Maurice and Clare to their son.

It said: “To Odhran, my beautiful handsome boy, from your difficult time coming into this world I have totally loved you. I took you everywhere along with me, my sidekick along with Michaela and Ross. I watched you move through life, reaching milestones from the first time you stood in your cot, mum and me racing each other to see you as you shook the side of the cot demanding attention.

"As you grew taller and I seemed to get smaller, the kisses on the top of my head started. You always told me, love you Da. I love you and can’t believe the amount of people whose lives you touched. You will always be in our hearts, never out of my mind. Love from Da.”

"To my beautiful boy, there are so many wonderful things I could say about you. The one thing I said to you before you went on your adventure was how proud your Daddy and me were of you. I told you to remember that you were still my wee boy and I am always going to worry about you. And you said, but Mum I’ll come back a man. But sweetheart you were always older than your years. You always had a plan. You lit up every room you entered, your infectious smile, your laugh. Everybody said the party didn’t start until Odhran arrived.

"You looked after me, your Dad and your sister Michaela. To have two children like you and Michael who weren’t just siblings but best friends Daddy and me couldn’t have been more proud. I will miss the kisses on my forehead and the ‘Love you Mum’. The locket you bought me before you left said: ‘Forever in my heart’ and that, my darling boy, is where you will always be. Love you Odhran.”

Fr Colum Wright described the service as a a ‘sad and broke occasion’ for ‘someone so, so young and who died so, so tragically’.

Fr Wright invited Ruairi, Blathnaid and Lindsey, Eoin, Luke, Dara, Oisin and Micheala to share memories of Odhran.

Ruairi described Odhran as ‘extremely bright’ and who received Geographer of the Year.

“After acing both his GCSEs and A levels Odhran took an apprenticeship with Norbrook. Following a successful apprenticeship he secured a full time position. Not only did he secure this position but was also given a position higher. This had not been done before. Odhran had his life planned out and knew exactly where he was heading, something not a lot of 22-year-olds could say. He was a lover of life, had no filter and was unapologetic for this and we loved him even more for that.

"Odhran had brains to burn but no common sense,” he said, recalling a trip to Manchester. "The party didn’t start until Odhran arrived, no matter what family gathering, everyone asked is Odhran going to be there because they knew if he was it was going to be the best night.

"As a family we are broken but we live in the knowledge you were loved far and wide and you have left us all with so many photographs and footage to keep your memory alive.

"To portray Odhran’s outlook on life, he once said: ‘For every 3 bad people there are 300 good’. Odhran we will talk about you with a smile because you lit of the room with yours. And to sum up Odhran in the words of his sister Michaela ‘he wasn’t here for a long time but he was surely here for a good time. So until the very end Odhran, we love you.”

A female friend described Odhran as ‘an amazing man, who was the kindest, most loving person in the world’.

"In the words of everyone here, a true gent. He was one of a kind, loved by everyone – a live wire. The fun spirit he had was infectious. He charmed every single person he met, maybe bar the fact that he thought giving girls fist bumps thought he was flirting. He was unselfish and very keen to put others before himself but that didn’t mean he didn’t have a more fun side. He was that brotherly figure for me. He was the one I went to for advice and nine times out of ten it ended with ‘stop stressing cause it only makes you uglier. This highlights his genuine care.

"He had the most outgoing style that he never failed to pull off. I blame myself for starting his love of horrendous shirts as it was a joke for a secret santa that no one was supposed to see but he was out on the town parading himself like Gok Wan himself. The competition for the best dancer well and truly concluded once he had a drink and his Elvis legs came out. The life given to us by nature is short but the memory of a life well spent is eternal and we will continue to remember you for this. Odhran, in your own words, don’t knock it til you try it and until the very end. I love you.”

Odhran’s cousin from Navan said: “Michaela, we always noticed what a great brother he was to you. The Tik Toc videos you used to make during the Covid lockdown always put us into a better mood. To Maurice and Clare, we are eternally grateful to you for bringing Odhran into this world and how you raised him to be such a strong, independent and loving young man who we had the pleasure not just to call our cousin but our friend. We will miss him forever.”

Another friend told the congregation of how they had grown up together. “I have a million stories from playing a FIFA game we made up to try and ruin each other’s social lives to drinking with Lewis Capaldi.”

Another man said: “Odhran was one of the happiest, funniest, friendliest people I have ever had the fortune to meet. Odhran was always the height man of the group. He was the first to arrive at a party and usually the loudest person in the room, chatting to people he had only met as if he had known them for years. The number of people who had met Odhran maybe once or twice had texted me messages of condolences on Odhran’s passing is a testament to how many lives Odhran touched and how many people are going to miss him.”

He recalled going for a drink with Odhran the night before he left for Thailand. “This is an evening on the town I will treasure for the rest of my life. I am going to miss him so much.”

Another friend said: “The outpouring of grief and shock felt by so many is a testament to just how loved Odhran was by so many and the void he leaves will be filled by a plethora of laughter-filled moments. As many of you will know, it didn’t take long for your heart to warm up to him. He just had that way, a welcoming charisma that pulled you into his circle. He was very intelligent, strong-minded and above all a very faithful and loyal friend whose kindness knew no bounds.

"Odhran always did what he wanted and was unapologetically himself looking ahead for a new challenge or adventure and because of this, his stories, his insight, his advice I have lived a great life and will always be grateful. Rest easy my friend.”

Another friend recalled how they met when Odhran transferred to Lismore Comprehensive in Craigavon. “From then we shared the same classes, revision notes and nerves. From GCSEs right through to Uni as well as our times boxing and running our way through Lurgan, Craigavon and Gilford like a pair of idiots. We holidayed together in France and had the most amazing times. This year we went to Electric Picnic music festivals on one of the worst weekends for weather. The tents were soaked. We lost each other for the better part of day 2 but it was still one of the best weekends of the year.

"I owe so much to Odhran, not just the memories but how well he took life. He didn’t care what people thought of him. He lived how he wanted to and laughed as much as possible. All this while working hard on his degree and job. The man couldn’t put up a tent but he definitely knew how to have a good time and I couldn’t have asked for a better friend.”

His sister Michaela said: “To Odhran my brother, mum and dad said from the moment I was born you were so fascinated by me and there would be times you would just watch me sleep in my cot and from then, they knew we would be inseparable and so we were. Growing up we were stuck to the hip and as we got older people thought we would become more distant but we didn’t. You took me under your wing and never left me behind. Sometimes I think that is why I got into so much trouble because although I was younger I copied everything you did. By then it was me who was fascinated by you.

“I adore you and everything you stood for. You had bad luck at times - the kind of luck that would make a person become angry and full of hate but not you, it only made you better, kinder and stronger. And with that you only saw the good in people. You only had a good heart so I became your protector.

“You’re my big brother, but I protected you like you were like my little brother because you were far too pure for this world. I am so proud of you Odhran and I aspire to be just like you.

“You’re brilliant and you taught me so much from how to pass my exams, because you had brains to burn, or even how to style my clothes because everyone knows you were best known for your extravagant taste in clothes. I can even hear you giving off to me for wearing your clothes.

“You showed me it was okay to be myself and not for one second did you even make me feel bad for who I was; you even praised me for it. Even though I give you a hard time, you always find a way to find the funny side of it. Odhran, you are my rock, my backbone, you will always be my big brother, my best friend. Until the very end I will love you forever.”