DEVASTATED family and friends of a young man who died after what police described as a 'one-punch' incident on Tyrella Beach in Co Down have described how he was "always full of joy".
Darren O'Neill (22), from Belfast, had been in a critical condition in hospital after the incident on Thursday.
Police confirmed yesterday he had died, with a post mortem due to be carried out to determine the cause of death.
Detectives investigating the case had already charged a 21-year-old man with grievous bodily harm and he is due in court on July 25.
PSNI detective chief inspector Darren McCartney said: "Our enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances surrounding Darren's death and I would appeal to anyone who may have witnessed this incident or who has any information to contact detectives."
Tributes have been paid to Mr O'Neill, with many describing him as a "lovely lad".
A cousin wrote on Facebook that "after a hard fought lot of days, you gained your angel wings".
"To most people we were just cousins, but to me, you were a teacher and the big brother that never took your eyes off me."
He added that Mr O'Neill will be "watching over us all and helping us to get through the hard days and showing us the light to the better days".
"I've never seen someone as happy as you in my life, always full of joy, always ready to make friends, you really did try to see the best in everyone, no matter who they were," he said.
"You will always be in my dreams at night and my heart forever throughout my life, until our paths meet again."
Other tributes described Mr O'Neill as a "wee gentleman", while another said: "RIP Darren, a lovely lad taken too soon".
In a post on Facebook, Shamrock FC Youth expressed their "sincerest condolences to two of our ladies players, Danielle and Nikita O'Neill and their famil,y on the untimely passing of their brother Darren O'Neill under such tragic circumstances".
St James Swifts Football Club, based in west Belfast, also observed a minute's silence in memory of Mr O'Neill at their prize night.
"The Swifts would like to send sincere condolences to our player Kyle O’Neill and family on the tragic death of his brother Darren," it said.
"Kyle was to receive a top goal scorer award at our presentation last night, instead we held an impeccably observed minute's silence."
Chris Hazzard, Sinn Féin MP for south Down, said: "There is shock and sadness in the local community following the death of a 22 year-old man in an incident in Tyrella beach.
"My thoughts and sympathies are with the family and friends of this young man at this tragic time."
Former SDLP MP Margaret Ritchie also said: "Deepest sympathies to the family of the young man, Darren O’Neill, who lost his life as a result of an incident at Tyrella Beach".
