Tragic Donnacadh Maguire '˜was a lovely wee boy ... he brightened up all our days'

Six-year-old Donnacadh Maguire, a pupil at St Eugene’s Primary School, was found at Tyrconnell Street on Tuesday morning with what police described as “significant injuries”.

He was taken to hospital where, sadly, doctors were unable to save his life.

Police say they believe a road collision caused his injuries.

Donnacadh’s uncle, Cahir Killen, said anyone who met his godson would have adored him.

“He was a lovely wee boy, a very bright child,” he said. “He never had a bad bone in his body.

“He was always a lively wee child, a really cute boy who really brightened up all our days.

“I have done enough crying. I have cried all the tears I have to cry for him and I just don’t have any more tears in me. You can hear it in my voice.

“It was just so sudden, just a real tragedy. It was such a shock. I’ve never experienced anything like this in my family before. I just feel like I am about to wake up from a bad dream.

“I was just absolutely dying about him. I really, really loved my wee nephew, my wee godson.”

He described the past fews days as being like a bad dream.

“That’s all I can really say, that it’s just a tragedy,” Mr Killen said.

“I just feel that I’m about to wake up, that it’s just a dream.”

The heartbroken uncle described his little godson as being “like a teddy bear”.

He said: “He was a really active wee boy, a live wire.

“He loved getting out and about in the park and he loved his wee friends at school. You would have had to have had loads of energy for him. He just loved his life, he loved everything.

“If you met him, you would have absolutely adored him. He was just like a wee teddy bear, he loved to give loads of cuddles, you know, he loved comfort and he loved company.

“He loved to hear all kinds of stories from people, especially about nature and about the world.

“He was so curious. He loved to colour in pictures and to make wee bands with his sister, my niece Saoirse who’s eight.”

He added: “He really loved his mommy, who was really, really good to him. She is going through a tough time.”

Donnacadh will be laid to rest after his funeral at St Eugene’s Cathedral at 11am on Saturday for interment afterwards at the City Cemetery in Londonderry.