A local community in Moycullen, Galway is paying tribute to 19-year-old Eamon Buckley who drowned while holidaying in Split, Croatia.
He had been attending a music festival in the popular tourist destination with a group of friends from Moyross, including his twin brother Liam, when he reportedly slipped and fell from the harbour into the water below and drowned.
His body was recovered from the water shortly before 10am on Monday morning following a seven-hour search by local authorities.
A student in NUI Galway, Eamon is survived by his mother Joy, father Tom, brother Liam and sisters Caoimhe and Roisín. His twin brother Liam is a first year Arts student at NUI Galway.
His parents arrived in Split late last night to formally identify the body and his friends are returning to Ireland from Split via Belfast tonight.
Minor football team
Eamon had been heavily involved in the local GAA club, for whom he played since he was 8, and was a member of the Moycullen minor football team of 2010 who won the club’s first minor title in 47 years.
Friends from the Moycullen minor team met last night in the Forge pub in the village to mourn his death.
“We’re absolutely devastated, there’s no other word for it. His family would have been at every match of the club’s and were heavily involved for a number of years,” said Moycullen GAA chairman Martin Cooke.
“I’ve known Eamon and Liam since they were 8 and he was a great footballer. He helped bring us to our first minor title in nearly 50 years. My son Peter was holidaying with them and they’re due in to Belfast tonight,” he said.
“We’re an extremely close and tight community and the family are known well across the parish,” he said. “The most important thing is that we look after the lads and make sure that they’re all okay.”
The Department of Foreign Affairs said it was providing consular assistance from the Irish Embassy in Zagreb to the man’s family.