Eoghan Dawson, his mother's 'beautiful son-shine', laid to rest on his 21st birthday
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The aspiring electrician died last Tuesday three days after a tragic road accident near Quigley’s Point that also claimed the life of his 16-year-old cousin Kian.
Father Sean O’Donnell told mourners the young men were returning from Eoghan’s favourite place when the accident occurred.
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Hide Ad"Eoghan loved the water, a true water baby. Even from a young age he hated been taken out of the bath or the swimming pool.


“His favourite spot was Malin Head pier.
“He loved watching the powerful waves crashing against the rocks,” he said.
Eoghan’s parents, Lisa and Connor, were joined by a wide circle of family and friends for his Requiem Mass in Pennyburn on Monday.
His uncle Marc and aunt Claire brought the gifts that symbolised his life to the altar.
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Hide AdFirst, a photo of Eoghan, a watch as he was a collector, hoping some day to have a real Rolex, his Emerge Fitness T-shirt, his coffee cup, as he drank five a day, and an Organ Donor Keepsake box which included his hand print, hair lock and heart trace.
Fr. O’Donnell told mourners: “Eoghan was born this day 21 years ago at 2.20pm. After this Requiem Mass we will lay him to rest around that same time.”
Eoghan, said Fr O’Donnell, ‘was a young man full of life, energy, and kindness. He was a friend to many and shared a special bond with his cousin Kian’.
Fr. O’Donnell shared some reflections his mother Lisa had passed on about her son.
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Hide Ad“Lisa recalls the day he was born, this day 21 years ago, at 2.20pm. That moment changed her life forever.
“She called him ‘My beautiful son-shine,’ and recalls that they had their ups and downs, fought hard and loved harder!
“She has reflected that in the past 21 years, Eoghan has been the inspiration and reason for all her wishes, and is so proud of the young man he became.”
Eoghan was a ‘part of the furniture’ at Emerge Fitness where he grew from ‘a shy boy to a confident man’ the congregation was told.
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Hide AdHe was his granny Michelle’s ‘huni bunny’. Eoghan intended going back to college to train as an electrician but, said Fr. O’Donnell, ‘what might have been, will now not be’.
"The tragic events of Saturday night week, as he and Kian were returning from his beloved Malin Head pier, have changed all that,” said Fr. O’Donnell.
A lasting legacy, mourners heard, was the life-giving gift of organ donation.
“Through organ donation, he has given the gift of life to five recipients, and his lungs have also been donated for research.
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Hide Ad“On this day, which should have been a celebration of Eoghan's 21st birthday, let us honour his memory by cherishing the relationships we have, by supporting one another in our grief, and by living in a way that reflects the kindness, generosity, and spirit that Eoghan was in life.
“His legacy is not only in the memories we hold but also in the lives he has saved,” said Fr. O’Donnell.
Following his Requiem Mass Eoghan’s remains were taken from the chapel for interment in the City Cemetery.
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