Teen, 18, killed in Donegal crash was an ‘affectionate & loving’ son who was ‘wise beyond his years’, funeral mass told
A TEENAGER who died alongside his friend in a Donegal crash earlier this week has been remembered as an “affectionate and loving” son.
Caoimhin Porter-McLoone and Daniel Cullen, both 18, died on the on the R236 road at around 11.45pm on Tuesday.
The car the teenage boys were travelling in collided with a lorry on the stretch and both pals were tragically pronounced dead.
At a funeral mass for Caoimhin Porter-McLoone in Derry today the congregation heard it was the second tragedy to hit the family in recent times.
The teenager was laid to rest with his father, who passed away in late 2024, after the 11am service.
The crowd at the sports fan’s funeral was dotted with red as mourners turned out in Man United jerseys to honour Caoimhin’s favourite team.
A Manchester United hat and scarf sat at the altar alongside a photo of Caoimhin in the kit of his beloved team.
Wreaths in Man United and Celtic colours adorned the hearse while students from St Brigid’s College, where the deceased is a past pupil, and Don Boscos Football Club – the club he had played for – formed a guard of honour.
Piercing cries punctured the “stunned” silence as Fr McGavigan and Fr Declan McGeehan delivered the funeral mass for the teen from Moyola Avenue in Shantallow.
Addressing the congregation this morning Fr McGavigan said: “Hearts are heavy, shocked and sore.”
He continued: “It is difficult even to find the right words, because this kind of loss is that loss that leaves people stunned and breathless.
“The death has come suddenly and painfully, and it has left many hearts broken. There is disbelief, confusion, and a grief that feels too heavy for words. Today, we do not pretend otherwise.
“We come just as we are: stunned, grieving, and carrying love that now has nowhere to go.”
Caoimhin is survived by his devoted mother Stephanie, siblings Chloe, Hunter, Shea, Darren and Ben and a wide family circle.
Fr McGavigan told mourners how heartbroken Stephanie spoke of “a good child, who never brought any bother, always smiling, always ready to wind up and carry on.”
He added: “He was affectionate and loving, never leaving the house without a kiss and a hug and an ‘I love you’.
“Those moments are priceless now. They are a gift that nothing can take away. Only 18 years of age, a life just beginning to open out.
“A young man who had taken time after the tragic death of his father Darren just over a year ago and who was now ready, ready to start work, ready to build something, ready to make his mark on the world.”
Fr McGavigan said that Caoimhin was known as “a kind-hearted, caring, handsome, funny young man”.
The priest added the teen was: “also a deep thinker, an old soul, wise beyond his years. He loved deep conversations.
“He was interested in philosophy and the bigger questions of life”.
Conversations in the family home would range from conspiracy theories to whether there was other life in the universe, mourners heard.
Fr McGavigan said: “It’s a small detail, but it says something striking”.
The congregation also heard of Caoimhin’s love of music, “a mix that matched his personality” including Eminem, Fleetwood Mac and Ozzy Osbourne.
Fr McGaivigan said: “What shines through so clearly is not only the sadness of his death, but the goodness of his life.
“He had a way of thinking things through and talking things out, a way of seeing beyond the surface.”
The large crowd included scores of young people who Fr McGavigan urged: “Lean on family and lean on friends. Check in on one another. Sit together in silence, if that’s all that you can do.”
Many leaned heavily on those next to them as Caoimhin’s remains were brought from the Church to the tune of Lady Of Knock.
Prayers were also offered for Daniel Cullen during the service ahead of his funeral mass tomorrow.
