{"id":622629,"date":"2026-09-12T17:18:13","date_gmt":"2026-09-12T17:18:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/622629\/"},"modified":"2026-09-12T17:18:13","modified_gmt":"2026-09-12T17:18:13","slug":"priest-tells-funeral-of-hit-and-run-victim-that-parents-are-full-of-fear-of-harmful-society-for-children","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/622629\/","title":{"rendered":"Priest tells funeral of hit-and-run victim that parents are ‘full of fear’ of harmful society for children"},"content":{"rendered":"

A PRIEST HAS told the funeral of a teenager killed in a hit-and-run in Co Clare, that parents and grandparents in Ireland are \u201cfull of fear\u201d of the society their children and grandchildren are growing up in.<\/p>\n

Fr Richard Davern was addressing mourners attending the funeral of 17-year-old Bryan Lowe, who was knocked down by a car and dragged under the vehicle, which did not remain at the scene.<\/p>\n

Questioning the apparent lack of respect for life in modern society, Fr Davern told the boy\u2019s funeral: \u201cSo many parents today are full of fear of the world that their children and indeed their grandchildren are growing up in.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is happening in our society, where do we turn, how can some sections of society have lost all connection to God.\u201d<\/p>\n

The priest asked journalists to \u201cturn the mirror\u201d on Irish society \u201cand write about the deeper questions that are in every heart and mind of the people in this church today\u201d.<\/p>\n

A guard of honour was performed by local motorcycle clubs who led and escorted the funeral cort\u00e8ge from St Nicholas Church, Westbury, Corbally to Doonass Cemetery, where Bryan Lowe was laid to rest.<\/p>\n

\"The
\n Bryan Lowe funeral. Brendan Gleeson<\/p>\n

Brendan Gleeson\n<\/p>\n

Bryan Lowe was riding an electric dirt bike when he was struck and killed by a vehicle on a rural road at Cottage Cross, Clonlara in southeast Clare, on Friday 4 September.<\/p>\n

The alarm was raised around 11pm and the boy was declared dead at the scene.<\/p>\n

Garda\u00ed said they were \u201cfollowing a definite line of enquiry\u201d, and it is understood they are examining whether the boy was deliberately run down.<\/p>\n

Investigators said they wanted to speak to the driver and occupants of a silver\/gold coloured Skoda Octavia, registration 05-C-5982, which was seen driving in the Cloonlara and Castleconnell area on the night in question and at some point on the following morning.<\/p>\n

Garda\u00ed released a photograph of the Skoda, which it is understood they recovered partially burned, at Castleconnell, Co Limerick, on Saturday 5 September.<\/p>\n

Bryan Lowe was a sixth-year student at St Munchin\u2019s College, Corbally, Limerick, who was \u201cdetermined\u201d to complete his Leaving Certificate exams in September, Fr Davern said.<\/p>\n

And, although \u201cschool was not his thing, it was with his hands that he was going to carve out a career for himself\u201d in the construction sector, said Fr Davern.<\/p>\n

The priest said the boy\u2019s family and all who knew him were \u201cdevastated, traumatised, and feeling utterly lost\u201d.<\/p>\n

Fr Davern, however asked the family to \u201ctrust the authorities and give them the time needed, that they will see to it that the truth and justice around Bryan\u2019s death will be established\u201d.<\/p>\n

The boy\u2019s death was \u201ctragically cruel\u201d, Fr Davern said.<\/p>\n

A local singer brought the church to a standstill and tears as she performed the Joan Baez song \u201cAll My Trials\u201d.<\/p>\n

Students from St Munchin\u2019s College performed guards of honour outside St Nicholas Church, Westbury, Corbally, as Bryan Lowe\u2019s blue-coloured coffin was shouldered in and out of the church by members of his family, including his mother, Crystal, and his father, Brian.<\/p>\n

Crystal Lowe thanked St Munchin\u2019s College and her son\u2019s fellow students for their \u201csupport\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cBryan was a great boy, and the boys in St Munchins have done him so so proud. I can hold up my head high knowing he is a boy I reared,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Addressing her son\u2019s classmates and friends, Lowe said: \u201cI know it\u2019s also very hard for ye all, if I can ask ye for anything, it is that ye just remember Bryan in the divine mercy, thank you very much and God bless.\u201d<\/p>\n

The boy\u2019s family prayed \u201cfor the first responders who attended the scene, and for the garda\u00ed who continue to work on Bryan\u2019s case \u2013 may God give them strength, wisdom, courage and compassion, in the difficult work they do each day\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"the-funeral-remains-of-bryan-lowepicture-brendan-gleeson\"
\n Bryan Lowe funeral. Brendan Gleeson.<\/p>\n

Brendan Gleeson.\n<\/p>\n

A cousin told mourners: \u201cBryan always put a smile on people\u2019s faces, he adored his family, he valued the people around him and he never lost sight of where he came from.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe had a great personality and a lovely a smile that could light up a room; And that is what makes this so difficult, Bryan was a young man who should have many more years with his family, to laugh, to work and enjoy himself,\u201d they said.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe had a hunger to work, a hunger to learn, a hunger to improve himself, a hunger to be better, and while he had strength and a great work ethic, he had a gentleness about him, a good heart, and he cared about people.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBryan was a kind and caring young man, he was also somebody you could count on, somebody who could have a laugh with you, stand beside you, and somebody who made life a bit brighter.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bryan Lowe was laid to rest in Doonass Cemetery, Co Clare.<\/p>\n

Garda\u00ed said their investigation is \u201congoing\u201d.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A PRIEST HAS told the funeral of a teenager killed in a hit-and-run in Co Clare, that parents…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":622630,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[264427,5005,4019,97780,61,60,43,264428],"class_list":["post-622629","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-ireland","tag-bryan-lowe","tag-co-clare","tag-funeral","tag-hit-and-run","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-news","tag-st-munchin"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/622629","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=622629"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/622629\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/622630"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=622629"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=622629"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=622629"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}