Ireland

Tributes paid to student Cameron Blair fatally stabbed at Cork house party

A 20-year-old student has been stabbed to death at a party in Cork
A 20-year-old student has been stabbed to death at a party in Cork A 20-year-old student has been stabbed to death at a party in Cork

Tributes have been paid to a student who died in a stabbing incident in Cork.

Cameron Blair, a 20-year-old Cork Institute of Technology student, was fatally injured at a house on the Bandon Road last night.

The second year student from Ballinascarty in west Cork was brought to Cork University Hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

It is understood the incident happened during a house party in the popular student area.

The student, who is survived by his parents and younger brother, was a member of Bandon Rugby Club and was due to play a match for the second team on Friday night.

Club president Dan Murphy said Mr Blair left an "indelible mark" on all he met.

"Such a tragedy will be felt far and wide but will be felt really deeply within our club where Cameron was a very popular member and current player," he said.

"Cameron's boyish smile and joy of life left a real indelible mark on anyone he met or any team he played on.

"He played as he spoke, full of confidence and was a delight to see running at full tilt with a rugby ball.

"Our thoughts, prayer and deepest sympathies are with the Blair and Donnelly families and Cameron's close friends at this extremely difficult time."

Mr Blair, a former pupil at Bandon Grammar School, was a member of the local Church of Ireland diocese.

Church of Ireland Bishop of Cork, Cloyne and Ross, Dr Paul Colton, who presided at his confirmation in 2013, expressed his sympathies.

"Having had student children myself, I know well that a calamity such as this on a night out is every parent's worst nightmare," he said.

"My heart goes out to the Blair family, especially Cameron's parents Noel and Cathy, and his brother Alan; as well as to Cameron's wide circle of friends and peers, and indeed everyone who has been traumatised by what happened on the Bandon Road last night.

"I know everyone in Cork and further afield is terribly shocked by Cameron's death.

"On behalf of everyone living in this part of Cork, and on behalf of us all in the Church of Ireland community in Cork, Cloyne and Ross I send them our sincerest condolences."

Dr Barry O'Connor, President Cork Institute of Technology, said: "The entire CIT community is in shock at the untimely death of one of our students and in such dreadful circumstances.

"Our heartfelt sympathies go out to the family and friends of the deceased who was a valued member of our CIT community.

"While our second semester lectures have not yet commenced, counselling and other necessary supports will be put in place by CIT for his classmates and his fellow students here in the Institute.

"We are also working in close cooperation with our CIT Students' Union to help students cope with this terrible tragedy.

"I am confident that our UCC (University College Cork) colleagues will also be putting supports in place for their students who are also traumatised by this fatality."

Gardai have urged any witnesses or anyone with information about the incident to come forward.

They asked anyone with video footage to bring it to gardai and not to share it on social media.