A YOUNG Limerick man who died in a road crash last weekend was “loving, unique, kind, and effervescent”, his heartbroken mother told his funeral Mass today.
Julie Buckley paid tribute to her “funny, precious”, 20-year-old son Luke who she said had blessed his family with laughter, joy, and warm hugs.
A talented goalkeeper with the South Liberties hurling club, Luke Buckley died when his car struck a wall close to Ballyneety as he drove home from work at around 12.40am last Monday morning.
A large crowd of mourners packed St Patrick’s Church, Knockea, and stood outside listening on loudspeakers heard Ms Buckley say her son “loved singing and dancing and rap music” and joked that their neighbours must have known every time Luke had taken a shower as the “boom boom” of the music would be blaring out of the bathroom window at their home.
“He had a marvelous personality, he was laid back, charming, and he had a winning smile.”
She recalled how during the Covid lockdowns they enjoyed side-splitting games of charades, and Limerick-born Luke enjoyed nothing more than slagging his Cork parents “when Limerick hammered Cork” in the senior hurling championship.
He loved the simple pleasures of life, including “his grandmother’s brown bread, Clonakilty sausages, his Dad’s toasted sandwiches, and a Sunday roast”.
Ms Buckley joked: “Yes, Luke loved his grub, he was the only fella I ever saw finish a Sunday roast and then wash it all down with a bowl of porridge”.
Julie Buckley held her husband Michael as he thanked their neighbours, friends, and their son’s teachers at Knockea National School, Castletroy College secondary school, and at Limerick Senior College where Luke was about to start a Business course.
Mr Buckley also thanked Gardai for their “gracious professionalism” at the scene of the fatal collision last weekend.
“But the biggest thank you goes to the woman standing beside me, no son could have had a better mum,” said Mr Buckley.
Looking from the altar down at his son’s coffin, which was draped in the green and gold colours of the famous South Liberties club, Mr Buckley poignantly offered: “Luke, I love you, I’ll chat to you everyday for the rest of my life, you’ll always be with me.”
Fr Tom Mangan, parish priest of Donoughmore/Knockea, said the local community would wrap its arms around the Buckley family to try to help them through their tragic loss.
Members of South Liberties GAA Club formed a guard of honour as the coffin carrying their “fearless former shot-stopper” was shouldered out of the church on his final journey.
Luke Buckley is survived by his parents Julie, Michael, sister Katie and brother Finn.
