A Co Antrim teen who died in a train accident in London was yesterday remembered as a "special young man".
Mourners gathered at St Mary's Church in Portglenone yesterday for Requiem Mass for Connor Marron.
The accident took place close to Hornsey Railway Station on January 2.
The 19-year-old is believed to have travelled to London with friends to attend the PDC World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace.
He had represented Roger Casements GAC in Portglenone and had been tipped to play senior football.
He was also a talented snooker player, winning the U16 Northern Ireland Snooker Championship at the age of 12.
A former pupil at St Louis Grammar School in Ballymena, he was a second year student at Ulster University.
Speaking to those gathered yesterday, Fr Anthony Curran said there was "deep shock" about what happened.
The parish priest said: "It is the news that every parent dreads, that would ever come to their door, that their child has died.
"In a sense, we are all sharing in the pain with you, the shock that you are experiencing," he said.
"It is certainly out of the order, for a grandchild to die before his grandparents and that makes that particularly painful for them.
"It is a sad day for our whole parish".
Speaking to the congregation, Martin Kearney, Secretary of Roger Casement’s club in Portglenone, said Connor would be remembered as a "special young man".
"Connor grew up around our club from he was no age, never far away from his father, Fergal, never far away from the action," he said.
"He might as well have been on the committee, we often said".
Mr Kearney said Connor had enjoyed "great success" as a player, adding that his teachers had remembered him as a "cherished" former pupil.
He said Connor, who was studying Human Resources at Ulster University, had also "excelled" as a snooker player.
"During the last week, we have been inundated by warm tributes to this special young man," he said.
"He made friends easily and many of them are here today. His team mates tell of him being good company, good craic, someone to look up to".
Following Requiem Mass, burial took place at Aughnahoy Cemetery.
