THE GAA community will "rally round" the family of a popular Co Antrim man who lost his life in a car accident two days before Christmas, a club member said last night.
Father-of-one Niall Quinn (34) died in a single vehicle crash on the Garryduff Road in Dunloy last Thursday evening.
Having played for Cuchullains club in Dunloy when he was younger, Mr Quinn's father, Danny was a former chair while his brother Darren played for his local side as well as representing Antrim.
An online funeral notice said he was the "devoted husband of Amy and loving father of Thomas".
A second brother, Orán, is a current member of the Cuchullains senior hurling squad. He also leaves behind his twin sisters, Danielle and Caoimhe.
In a social media post, Orán urged people to "hug your family that bit tighter" this Christmas.
A plasterer by trade, Mr Quinn worked alongside his father and was well known throughout the area.
Tony Shivers, a long-standing Cuchullains member, described him as the "nicest guy".
"Niall came from a big hurling family on both his father and mother's side, as his mother Kathleen Ann was formerly McClean. They are a big GAA family in Dunloy and his parents were both at mass yesterday praying for their son, it's heartbreaking," he said.
"I knew Niall as I have sons the same age and he plastered their homes. He was a really nice young guy. It is just tragic. Him and his father worked together and they were very close.
"As always, it's a saying that goes but it's true - the GAA community and the local community will rally round the family as best they can at this time."
The executive and members of Cuchullains also offered their deepest sympathies to the entire Quinn and McClean family circles, and described Mr Quinn as a "devoted husband, much loved son, greatly missed brother, a dear uncle and good friend to many".
A school in Dungiven where his sister works also offered their condolences: “The Gaelscoil Neachtain community is deeply saddened to learn of the death of Niall Quinn, Dunloy, brother of Caoimhe Reid. We send our deepest sympathy to Caoimhe, our esteemed colleague and to the entire Quinn family at this time of great sorrow and loss.”
Requiem Mass will take place at noon tomorrow in St Joseph's Church, Dunloy, followed by internment in the adjoining cemetery.
The mass can be viewed on Dunloy & Cloughmills Parish Facebook Page.
Due to Covid-19 restrictions, the family home is private and funeral mass numbers are limited to social distancing within the church.
