Funeral held for tragic student Conall O'Hare

Conall O’Hare was aged just 18 when his car crashed on the Ballydugan Road outside Downpatrick at around 10.30pm on Tuesday.

Conall was a Year 14 student at St Patrick’s Grammar, Downpatrick.

Many of his fellow students, dressed in their school uniforms, came to say their farewells as Conall was laid to rest at St Patrick’s Church, Bryansford on Saturday.

Paying tribute to the young man, the school posted on Facebook: “We would like to offer our most heartfelt condolences to the entire family circle, especially his mum Linda, our former colleague, and his many friends, at this heart breaking time.”

SDLP South Down MP Margaret Ritchie described Conall’s death as a “profound tragedy that has shocked the local community”.

Meanwhile, a second young man who lose his life on Northern Ireland’s roads last week, James Campbell, is to be laid to rest tomorrow.

The 21-year-old motorcyclist died following a collision with a tractor on the Ballymacanallen Road outside Gilford, Co Down at around 1.25pm on Wednesday.

His funeral will take place at 11am tomorrow at St Patrick and Colman’s Church, Laurencetown.

Four young men have now lost their lives on Co Down’s roads this year.

Earlier this month, 18-year-old Downpatrick man Christopher Martin was killed in a crash on the Saintfield Road in Crossgar while returning home from a night out with friends.

In January, 18-year-old Matthew Davis also lost his life after a crash on the Lisburn Road in Saintfield.