THE funeral is due to take place today of the Co Down GAA player killed in a dune buggy crash in Qatar.
Eamonn Morgan (24) from Newry died alongside his girlfriend Charlotte Sant from Manchester when the dune buggy they were in veered out of control off a steep incline on June 27.
The couple, both PE teachers, had been working in Qatar for the past year and had been due to leave the country just a week after the tragedy happened.
The body of Mr Morgan, a GAA fanatic who played for St John Bosco GAC in Newry since he was eight, returned home to his family in Newry at the weekend.
Hundreds of people are expected to attend his funeral in the city today.
Both victims were members of Qatar GAA club with Mr Morgan introducing his girlfriend to Gaelic football.
In a statement on Saturday as the bodies of the couple were returned home, Qatar GAA Club said it wanted to "thank all those who have offered support and sympathies for Eamonn and Charlotte over the past week".
Club chairman Peter Crowe said: "From those who have offered help here in Qatar, to the widespread GAA community including the Middle East GAA, clubs back home in Ireland and other clubs from around the world.
"The support has been phenomenal and for that we are eternally grateful.
"On their final journey home I have no doubt that Eamonn and Charlotte would be extremely proud of everybody's efforts on their behalf."
Mr Morgan's mother Maura last week told The Irish News that the couple were "very much in love... and had so much to see" in life and described their deaths as "absolutely tragic".
Requiem Mass will be celebrated in the Church of St Brigid, The Meadow in Newry at 1pm followed by interment afterwards in Monks Hill Cemetery.
