'You will never be forgotten', mourners say farewell to man who died in a fire in Mayo

Friends, family and colleagues gathered this Thursday in to celebrate the life of Dusan Ivan, who died in a fire in Ballina last week.

Dusan who worked as a bouncer in the Castle Late Night in Westport, died following a fire at an apartment on Tolan Street in Ballina.

Originally from Prešov, Slovakia, he had lived in Ballina for over 17 years.

At the mass, which took place in St Muredach’s Cathedral, a Slovakian flag and a security jacket - a nod to Dusan’s job - were brought to the altar.

In the cathedral, a big crowd of friends, family and colleagues showed up to celebrate the life of Dusan, who was remembered as someone who was always happy and made an “everlasting impact” on others.

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The daughter of Zdzislaw Popiel, Dusan’s longtime friend, stepped forward to pay tribute on behalf of her dad who is in Poland and couldn’t make it due to unforeseen circumstances.

Talking for her dad, she recounted shared laughter and adventures spent with Dusan throughout the years.

“Dusan and I met in 2006. He was my closest friend since and became like a brother to me. We have so many good times together. We used to go to the gym, get coffee, go for a walk.  I could always count on him and he could always count on me. Wherever we were and we needed to talk, we'd always ring each other and either meet up or we'd be on the phone for hours,” recalled his friend.

Dusan loved to cook for others, even if they weren’t always hungry.

“Dusan always loved to cook when I came over, especially his soup.  Anytime, even if I wasn't hungry, he kept making it like it was the best thing ever.  We joked about it so much, he'd say his soup could cure anything.  It's something I'll always remember about you.”

“We did everything together, and I especially liked going shopping with him. At any shop we'd go into, he used to always try on any type of funny hat, caps, sunglasses, everything. To make it funny, he'd say, take a picture of me. It was hilarious. Even when we went for a trip, Dusan used to always blast his Polish rap songs so loud that even the car would shake,” recalled his friend.

Dusan treated his friends’ family like his own.

“I want you to know just how much you meant to me. I'm not sure if I said enough during our friendship, but I really hope you knew that. Dusan, you may be gone, but you will never be forgotten. I'll miss you so much.  Rest in peace. See you on the other side, brother.”

With the help of a friend who translated her words, Dusan’s mother expressed profound gratitude for the support the family received since her son passed away.

“God give me strength so I can thank you all very, very nicely for all your support and for standing on our side, and for all the help,” she said, shedding tears. “From the bottom of my heart, from the family, I thank all of you.”

A colleague and close friend also paid tribute to Dusan, who had “the kindest and biggest heart”.

“From the very first night, his presence made an everlasting impact on us all, and would soon become a valued member of staff, but more importantly, our friend. We all know this is an incredibly sad occasion, but knowing Dusan, he wouldn't want us to talk about sad things.  He was far too much of a happy person for that,” paid his friend in tribute.

His friend shared many anecdotes, but most importantly, remembered Dusan’s character.

“Dusan had the kindest and biggest heart. From our time spent with Dusan, he made it clear that his family meant everything to him.  He loved to talk about his granny, his two brothers, his nieces, and extended family. But most of all, he talked to us of his beloved mother and father.”

A GoFundMe campaign was set up to support Dusan's family. 

May he rest in peace.