Hundreds line the streets at vigil for slain Limerick man Dylan McCarthy

THEY stood, shoulder to shoulder, along Sheares Street, Sarsfield Street, Lord Edward Street, out along the Railway Road and onto Gotoon, the family home.

In the palm of their hands and at the tips of their toes were flickering candles - the only source of light on a dark night in Kilmallock.

One of their own had fallen. A young life snuffed out, violently. 

Dylan McCarthy, 29, passed away on a hospital bed last Monday afternoon following an assault in Monasterevin, County Kildare in the early hours of Sunday. 

‘Barbaric’ killing leaves Limerick town ‘numb and bereft’

Women and men, teenagers, boys and girls, even little toddlers lined the footpaths of his home town this Friday night. And their silence spoke volumes.

A solemn scene in Kilmallock last night.
The hearse carrying the remains of Dylan McCarthy, 29, slowly makes its way through the streets. Hundreds formed a candlelit vigil on either side of the convoy of vehicles carrying Dylan’s parents, family and friends.

️: Jack O’Shea pic.twitter.com/zZJfgEb8UN

— Limerick Leader / Limerick Live (@Limerick_Leader) August 27, 2022

In their hundreds they left behind the comfort of their own homes to stand in solidarity with Eamonn and Marita who have lost their only son in a senseless act of savagery. 

Dylan was attacked by a number of people outside the doorway of a pub in the town of Monasterevin and was found unresponsive at the scene. His father, Eamonn, was by his side.

Dylan was taken to Tallaght University Hospital but lost his fight for life on Monday afternoon.

Eamonn, who is in his 50s, was treated for serious injuries at the same hospital. 

A post-mortem was conducted on Dylan’s body. The results will determine the course of the investigation.

At 10.14pm this Friday night the bells tolled at Saints Peter and Paul’s Church in Kilmallock. Dylan had returned home. In a coffin. On the back of a hearse. 

The locals wore jerseys - the green and white of Kilmallock and Limerick GAA, the red of Manchester United. These were Dylan’s teams and this was Dylan’s town.

As the hearse came into view, the cold, hard reality of it all was laid bare. Dylan’s old teammates, buddies, neighbours, acquaintances and many, many strangers stood silently facing the coffin. Most dipped their heads, some closed their eyes.

It is understood that words were exchanged inside the Monasterevin pub over a minor matter and this escalated into an altercation. As Dylan and his father exited the public house the serious assault took place on the street. It is understood that Dylan, “a decent and mild-mannered young man”, received a number of blows and was kicked on the ground.

The hearse crawled along the street. And as it did, new tributes continued to appear on the RIP.ie website offering words of comfort to those grieving the most - Eamonn and Marita, Dylan’s partner Aoife Talty, his sister Orla and Orla's partner Glenn, his nephew Liam, his uncles Chris O'Doherty, Denis McCarthy, Mike Shanahan, his aunts Rose O'Doherty, Judy Kelly and Mary Clancy, and also Simon McAuliffe and Ita Carroll.

“I am heartbroken that this happened in this village,” wrote ‘a Monasterevin resident’ on the RIP site.

 “A beautiful and loving young man taken far too soon. God bless and take care of each other and may you always feel Dylan's presence watching over you all every day from heaven,” the tribute continued.

‘A Laois parent’ also took time to comment: “Why life is so cruel we will never understand. May all his wonderful memories be a source of comfort to you all. Dylan, may you rest in peace.” 

The tealights continued to flicker out past the library, the courthouse, the grotto and the mart, guiding the way home to Gotoon for Dylan and his family.

Tomorrow evening “the true gentleman, wonderful sportsman and loyal friend” will repose from 5pm at Daffy's Funeral Home in the town. And on Sunday at Saints Peter and Paul's Church, the bells will toll once again, this time at 4pm to signal the start of the requiem Mass.

Finally, on a late summer’s evening, Dylan McCarthy will make one final journey, to Dromin, and a cemetery in the countryside where he will finally rest.

Sleep peacefully Dylan.