Northern Ireland

Parents of Deaglan Moran tell of devastation at losing their 'cheeky-chappy who just loved life'

Deaglan (14) was from Downpatrick
Deaglan (14) was from Downpatrick Deaglan (14) was from Downpatrick

THE heartbroken parents of a Co Down teenager who died after being struck by a car have spoken of their devastation at losing their "cheeky-chappy who just loved life".

Fiona and Lenny Moran from Downpatrick said their son Deaglan (14) "was our world" as they described their pain at his tragic death.

Requiem Mass will be celebrated today for the De La Salle High School pupil following his death on Sunday. He died in a collision on Flying Horse Road in the town at around 6.30pm.

"Deaglan just loved life," Mrs Moran told the Belfast Telegraph.

"He's well-known. Nobody would say a bad word about him.

"He had just picked his options for his GCSEs. I just went to his teacher-parent meeting and no-one had a bad word to say about him.

"They just said that he's a character, who loved to get in with the rest of them and carry on."

Mrs Moran said "we think he's still going to come through the door, or he's in his bedroom playing the PlayStation".

"It's heartbreaking. I'll miss him," she added.

"He was the life and the soul of the house."

Mr Moran added: "He meant the world to us. He was our world".

His parents also told of how they heard of the collision from a mother of one of their son's friends.

"She said: 'You better get here. Deaglan's been hit by a car'. I just said 'Is he breathing?" said Mrs Moran.

"All his friends live up there, in that area.

"We always picked him up."

The couple and their daughter Meaghan (18) rushed to the scene, where the emergency services were treating Deaglan.

"We got up to the scene and his mum couldn't face seeing him," said Mr Moran.

"Deaglan was on the road, lying on the road."

Mrs Moran said she "knew he wasn't breathing because they were doing CPR and they worked on him for about an hour and a half".

"It's just so hard, he was so young. I was just in shock," she said.

"I was numb. It still hasn't hit me.

"I was just praying to God that they could get a heartbeat."

Mrs Moran added: "He was a cheeky-chappy who just loved life"

Deaglan's funeral will be held today in St Colmcille's Church, Downpatrick at 11am followed by interment in Struell Cemetery.