NUMBER OF YOUTHS ARE QUESTIONED OVER KILLING
Heartbroken community mourns Cameron Reilly
A LARGE number of youths have been questioned in relation to the murder of tragic teenager Cameron Reilly.
The youths were part of a group socialising in a field at the rear of the Rivervale estate in Dunleer (inset) in the early hours of last Saturday morning.
Gardai conducted the interviews on Sunday and were this week seeking further witnesses as part of their investigation into the death of Cameron (18).
He was found in the field just yards from his home at Beechwood Drive just after 8am on Saturday morning.
A student in DkIT, Cameron’s death has cast a shadow over a wide community, with heartbroken friends describing him as ‘ a gentle lovely fella, always laughing with his mates.’ Cameron had connections with both Scarlet Street in Drogheda and Beechwood Drive in Dunleer, where his grandparents live.
A candlelit vigil took place on Monday night in St Brigid’s Church in Dunleer to remember him and his family.
People from Dunleer and the wider area attended as well as family from Drogheda.
IF EVER a family needed a community to step forward and hold its hand, hold them in a warm embrace, then it’s the collective Reilly and Glass families who stand broken-hearted this week - numb with pain and simple disbelief. Last Saturday morning, around 8am, a local man was out walking his dog when he came across a body in a field at the rear of the Rivervale estate and the Glen Dimplex plant on the Ardee Road in Dunleer.
It’s a popular hang out for local youths.
The man soon realised the enormity of the situation and called for the emergency services, who along with gardai, rushed to the scene.
Within hours, the name of the young man was known - and a shadow descended on a town.
Suddenly a quiet family, living life in their own way, were cast into an abyss of sorrow, an avalanche of pain, into the national headlines. Surely this couldn’t be happening....
Cameron Reilly (18) was one of those young men who would have led a wonderful life. He was popular in the town, out and about with his mates, a good and sound young man to be around.
A caring, loving son, his mother, Tracy, adored the ground he walked on and he adored her. His dad, Patrick ‘Snowy’ Reilly is a Drogheda man and well known in the soccer world, enjoying a great footballing career as a goalkeeper in the past.
Cameron was lucky enough to have two homes - one in Scarlet Street and the other in a place he loved, Beechwood Drive in Dunleer, home to his grandparents, Joe and Rita Glass and he loved spending time with them.
He went to school in Dunleer and completed his Leaving Certificate in Scoil Ui Mhuiri. He started in DkIT last year.
He had many great friends in Dunleer and this week, they share the pain of his beloved family.
Across social media, words of comfort, shock, anger and grief were tinged with disbelief.
‘A true guy with always a friendly smile or wave for all.... only a child, my God beginning his life into adulthood.
TO MAKE SENSE OF THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE.... HE WAS A LOVELY YOUNG MAN WITH SO MUCH AHEAD OF HIM CRUELLY TAKE NAT SUCH A YOUNG AGE
To make sense of this is impossible.... he was a lovely young man with so much ahead of him cruelly taken at such a young age... such a gentle lovely fella, always laughing with his mates..... such a cruel world we live in,’ some wrote.
Others added, ‘ heartbreaking and senseless loss of a young life.’
At 11.30am Sunday mass in St Brigid’s Church, Parish Priest Fr Michael Murtagh said it was hard to speak about life when the community had gone through such a tragic few days and the ‘unspeakable cruelty of taking a young man’s life’, but ‘ that is what faith is about.’
He spoke about the ‘value we place on life’ and how everybody was ‘quietly sad for Cameron and his family and many questions were being asked.’
He said anyone who knew Cameron found him a ‘most gentle, shy and quiet’ young man and was ‘courtesy personified’.
Dunleer was shocked by Cameron’s loss, stating everyone’s ‘ horror at the nature of his death and somehow justice will be served eventually.’
He said the community was with the family ‘in your darkness and sorrow’.
At the request of the parish community, Saint Brigid’s Church was opened for a candlelit vigil on Monday night. People prayed quietly, paid their tributes and left their tributes.
The garda investigation has been concentrated on the area where his body was found and large scale searches have been ongoing in recent days.
It is believed items that Cameron had on him are missing and finding them will be a key factor in tracing those responsible for his death.
“Cameron was last seen in the vicinity of Ardee Road, Dunleer at approximately 12.30am on Saturday morning 26/5/2018 before his body was discovered at approximately 8am at Rivervale, Dunleer,’ they state.
Investigating Gardaí are appealing to anyone who was in his company or with information about his movements on Friday (25/5/2018) evening and Saturday morning (26/5/2018) to make contact with them.
They are also appealing to taxi drivers, bus drivers or anyone with dashcam footage recorded in the Dunleer area to make it available to them.
One item missing is his phone. It’s an Apple iPhone 8X (64GB) with a green hard back cover, space grey in colour.
They are ask ong home and business owners in Dunleer to check their property including wheelie bins and waste skips to try and find it and of course if it’s offered for sale.
Superintendent Andrew Watters said they did not have a motive for Cameron’s murder as yet, but the investigation was still in its early stages.
‘A number of people who were with him on the night have been interviewed,’ he added.
Mid Louth councillor Dolores Minogue said that the community now had to come together for the family.
‘It’s terrible and I’d urge people with any information to contact the gardai.’
As the hunt for those responsible for Cameron Reilly’s murder intensifies this week, and a family prepare for a final farewell to a wonderful son, grandson and nephew, maybe those responsible should read the words of his mother in thanking everyone for their support - ‘Our hearts are broken in a million pieces. My beautiful son, love you to the moon and back.’
Contact Drogheda Garda Station on 041-9874200, the Garda Confidential Line at 1800 666 111 or any Garda Station with any detail that will bring justice for Cameron Reilly.