"I never felt down around him," Alan Higgins's best friend told a large congregation at the youth's funeral in Dublin on Saturday. Jamie Cagney (17), added: "He always looked on the bright side of life."
Alan Higgins, also aged 17, died after he was stabbed in the chest on the night of October 12th, near the UCI cinema in Coolock. He had been to the cinema with his girlfriend and had said good-night to her when he was set upon by a gang of teenagers. He was stabbed twice in the chest and his mobile phone and wallet were stolen.
Though he managed to crawl back to the cinema, he died a few hours later. Last Saturday morning, Mr Cagney said he looked up to Alan "like he was an older, wiser brother".
"Hair, looks, women, golf - he loved the whole lot of them," he continued. "Playing Playstation, listening to music - that's what we did all the time. No one ever said a bad word about Alan.
"Miriam," he said - addressing his friend's mother - "thank you for raising such a wonderful son. I will always miss him."
About 1,000 people filled the Church of the Holy Trinity in Donaghmede for his funeral Mass. Many more stood outside. About half of those present were teenagers, many in the navy blue uniform of Ard Scoil La Salle, Raheny, where Alan was in 5th year.
Other young mourners knew Alan in the Gaeltacht, where he and Jamie had spent some weeks during the summer.
Fr Ronan Herlihy, a relative of the Higgins family and chief celebrant at the Mass, said "it was because of his life" that "Alan has had such an influence on so many people".
Alan valued and loved life with an enthusiasm that inspired all who met him. Referring to the leukaemia Alan had overcome, Fr Herlihy said he had "years of intense suffering, known only to those closest to him". Alan survived because he wanted to live. Fr Herlihy said Alan knew "life was precious". He valued "love, truth, beauty - God's beauty in the world around us".
His uncle and godfather, Mr John Kelly, said: "We miss you, we love you. We will never forget you."
In his 17 years Alan had "touched the lives of more people than many of us would in 70," concelebrant Fr Martin Noone said.
About 60 fellow students formed a guard of honour as Alan's coffin was brought from the church.
The mourners were led by Alan's parents, Ms Miriam and Mr David Higgins, his sister, Caitríona; and half-sister, Terri.
The attendance included: Supt Noel McLoughlin, Coolock Garda Station, who is heading the investigation into Alan's death; Mr Tommy Broughan TD; teachers from Scoil La Salle, Raheny, members and staff of St Anne Golf Club, Raheny; and staff from Temple Street Children's Hospital.Concelebrants included: Fr Douglas Malone, chaplain at Scoil La Salle; and Bishop Raymond Field, representing Cardinal Connell.
