TRIBUTES HAVE BEEN paid to a skilled Limerick sportsman and much-loved son who died while holidaying in Greece overnight.
The deceased, named locally as Niall O’Brien, aged in his 20s, died after sustaining serious head injuries on the Greek island of Ios.
It’s understood O’Brien, from Castletroy, who was holidaying with a group of 20 friends at the time, was struck by a car after a fall.
His body is to be taken to Athens for a post-mortem examination, an informed source said.
RTÉ News reported that a young man was arrested and was helping police with their enquiries.
O’Brien, a third year student at the University of Limerick, was a star player with Broadford GAA Club in South East Clare, and a member of Castletroy Golf Club, in his native Limerick.
“Niall was a brilliant sportsman, he was a serious hurler, he was huge into golf and GAA, soccer, everything really,” said a source.
“This is just a terrible tragedy. Niall was the nicest lad you could ever have met, and the whole community just can’t believe what has happened.”
A spokesman for The Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust confirmed it was liaising with the deceased’s family in order to help arrange to repatriate his remains home for burial.
The Trust “aims to alleviate the financial hardship of bereaved families repatriating the body (bodies) of loved one(s) who have died abroad in sudden or tragic circumstances back to Ireland”, its website stated.
A spokesman at the Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed it was “aware of the case and is providing consular assistance” to the family.
“As with all consular cases, the Department does not comment on the details of any specific case,” they added.
Police on Ios have been contacted for comment.
A spokeswoman for Castletroy Golf Club said it was preparing a statement to be sent to club members.
O’Brien was the second Limerick person to die on Ios in a little over a month.
Darren Whelan, 23, from Kildimo, Co Limerick, a talented hurler with Kildimo Pallaskenry GAA Club, was holidaying with friends on the Greek island when he fell to his death on 11 July last.
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