Loved ones have paid tribute to a man who died in a tragic accident in Dublin. Ronan Rafferty, 41, died at Sandymount Pier during Storm Diana late last month. His friends from Loreto and Dominican College, which he attended in his teen years paid their respects to the man at his funeral in St. Malachy’s Church in Coleraine earlier this month. SDLP councillor Stephanie Quigley was one of the mourners who attended the funeral.
She stated; “It was a huge shock. Ronan had been very well, happy-go-lucky and a very gentle, kind and tender-hearted man. I understand this was a freak accident and came out completely out of the blue. The funeral service was one of the biggest I’ve ever seen in the parish.”
Born in the summer of 1977, Ronan was the second of eight children to Michael and Patricia Rafferty. His oldest sister Angela said: “He had a special place in his heart for children and they were drawn to him – perhaps he had a similar kind of innocence.”
Ronan had been laid to rest in Coleraine Cemetery.
