A WOMAN WHO lost her fiancé in unexplained circumstances in Killarney at the weekend told his requiem mass that he was her “one and only true love” who would always be “hugging her heart.”

IT Tralee graduate Darragh Sheehan (26) was found unconscious outside the Gleneagle Hotel on the Muckross Road at about 11.30pm last Saturday.

The emergency services were called but he was pronounced dead a short time later.

A postmortem has since been completed at University Hospital Kerry. The results were not released. However, it is understood he died of asphyxiation.

At his requiem mass today in Doneraile, Co Cork, Fr Aidan Crowley read out a letter written by his fiancée Karen O’Sullivan. The couple got engaged in February of this year.

In the letter she paid tribute to her partner saying they had an amazing life together surrounded by their five gorgeous dogs whom they loved bringing for walks in Doneraile Park.

“Karen will never forget the moment he proposed to her back in February. His declaration of love and the tears in his eyes will stay with her forever,” Fr Crowley said.

“It was the beginning of their love and devotion to each other which will be forever lasting. No words can describe how wonderful as a fiancé he was.

“He truly was the most amazing, supportive and devoted person which Karen will always hold in her heart forever. He will always be hugging her heart. He was and always will be her one and only true love.”

‘Good nature’

Fr Crowley said that Darragh, who died in the “prime of his life,” was known for his “good nature” and his personable qualities.

He said the passing of Darragh had caused a “gloom and shadow” to fall upon his home town of Doneraile.

Fr Crowley told mourners that he met an old school teacher of Darragh’s, who said that his past pupil never failed to ‘salute’ him on the road.

“He said every time you would meet him he would always salute you and he would always take time to stop to say ‘how are things with you?’

“You might say ‘So what?’ But I can assure you after 30 years of being a priest I can assure you that little things like that are what life is made up of.

“An interaction you might have with somebody might mean nothing to you but I can assure you it means so much to other people. A simple thing like a smile. You can make a person’s day with a smile and you can destroy a person’s day with a frown.

“I heard so many stories about Darragh with his horses, his hounds, on the football field but again what keeps coming through is his nature.

“That nature just doesn’t happen. That nature was there from when he was baptised. His nature was also nurtured.”

Grieving family

Fr Crowley added that the community in Doneraile would be there for the grieving family as long as they were needed.

Offertory gifts included a football, a picture of his pomeranian dogs, a riding hat to signify his love of horses and a golf club.

Darragh is survived by his parents Tom and Hannah, his siblings Kevin and Fiona and his fiancée Karen.

He was laid to rest at Oldcourt cemetery following 2pm mass at the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

He was a past pupil of Nagle Rice Secondary School in Doneraile. He was employed by the EPS Group in Mallow. His funeral was live streamed on the parish website.

One line of inquiry being followed by gardaí is that he died after becoming involved in an altercation.

Gardaí in Killarney are continuing to appeal for anyone with information in relation to this matter to come forward.

Gardaí are also appealing for any road users or pedestrians who may have camera footage (including dash-cam) who were travelling in the Muckross Road area between 11pm and 11.45pm last Saturday to contact them.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Killarney Garda Station on 064 6671160, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda Station.