‘He wanted to save others’ – Funeral of young man

A young man who tragically lost his life in a road accident in Co Donegal last weekend had aspired to join the fire service, mourners at his funeral Mass heard. Jamie Diver, in his early 20s, died following a road incident in the Gaeltacht village of Gortahork on Friday night.

Jamie and his friend Shaun McClafferty were both killed’He wanted to save others’ – Funeral of young man  when their Suzuki Liana car hit the gable wall of a house at Baltoney just before 9.30pm. Shaun will be laid to rest after his funeral Mass in the same church tomorrow (Thursday).

Two more friends, Josh Montgomery Scanlon and Darragh Lynch, are still in hospital recovering from their injuries. Hundreds of mourners from Gortahork and surrounding parishes gathered in Christ the King Church to bid a final farewell to the young man known to his friends as ‘Slicks.

Among them were Jamie’s parents Róise and Damien, his brothers Ryan – and partner Niamh – and Keith, his nephew Charlie, his uncle Kevin and wife Amanda, his cousins Eibhlin and Neil, and a circle of friends. A row of young men in crisp white shirts and black ties sat together, wiping away tears as they grappled with the sudden loss of their dear friend.

Jamie was predeceased by his grandparents Jimmy and Rose McGee and Nora Diver. Mourners heard how the soft-spoken young man had recently started his own car valeting service and had no time for girlfriends outside of work, reports the Irish Mirror.

Fr O’Baoill reminisced about the touching stories shared of Jamie’s life and work, recalling “beautiful things” He said, “I’ve heard that he always wanted to help others, he wished to be a firefighter, in other words, he wanted to save others,” Fr O’Baoill continued, “He never refused anybody any help that he could give with regards to buffing cars or fixing cars.”

Reflecting on the night of the tragedy, he added, “Even that unfortunate night, a few nights ago, it was probable they were fixing or trying out some fault in the car.”

Jamie was known for his dedication at Errigal Motors alongside Ciaran Gallagher and also managed his own business from Baltoney. “They tell me he was a bit of a perfectionist. That was his motto, if something is worth doing, it’s worth doing well,” Fr O’Baoill remarked.

The priest noted Jamie’s lifelong passion for cars, which was ignited during his school years and further kindled by a valeting course in Letterkenny during his transition year at PCC Falcarragh. His love for polishing, bodywork, and mechanics grew into a fervent passion.

In the wake of Friday’s tragic event, the community has struggled to find words, Fr O’Baoill acknowledged. He pondered the difficult questions: “Why does God allow these things? We don’t know,” and “What can we learn about these things, is there any positive?” He suggested, “There are good things that come from it. It tells us how fragile we are.”

Reflecting on the six-year anniversary of the Magheraroarty crash that claimed the lives of four young local men, Fr O’Baoill remembered them as ‘fine lads’, just like Jamie and Shaun Martin.

Fr O’Baoill continued: “Our young people are the most important riches that any community has, there is nothing to compare them. They are our future,” and “If you have left us anything, Jamie, you have told us in plain language that we are very frail, very fragile and we need someone’s protection. Above all, we need God’s protection.”

Friends of Jamie brought symbols to the altar celebrating his life and work – a hat from the Errigal Motors dealership where he worked, a tea cup, a spanner and a buffer symbolising his passion for cars and mechanics. As Jamie’s coffin was carried from the church to the adjoining cemetery, mourners were met by a line of cars parked opposite Christ the King Church, each with a personalised license plate reading ‘Remembering Slicks’ in honour of their late friend.

The same group of friends and the same beloved cars will gather at the same church again tomorrow when the community will once again join together in mourning, this time to remember and celebrate the memory of Shaun McClafferty – another young person to tragically lose their life on the roads of Donegal.