Robert killed outside his home
ANOTHER family was hit by tragedy when 29 year old Robert McLoughin was struck by two cars as he crossed the Newry Road to his home in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Robert had just got out of a taxi and was crossing the road when he was hit by two cars travelling northwards, close to the junction with the Racecourse Road at 3.15am. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The drivers of the two cars, believed to be woman from north Louth and a man from south Armagh, were uninjured.
The road at the scene was closed for several hours to facilitate an examination of the area by Garda Forensic Collision Investigators and Garda investigations into the cause of the accident are continuing.
The popular young man was coming home from a night out, having earlier attended Dundalk FC’s match against Bohemians at Oriel Park, where he was a regular figure.
He was the youngest son of Sid and Attracta, who were on holiday in Portugal, and has a brother Stephen and sister Kim. He is also survived by his sister-in-law Catriona, niece Chloe, uncles, aunts, cousins, relatives and many friends.
Robert, known to his friends as ‘Foods’ because of the family’s frozen food business, worked as an accountant, commuting to Dublin every day, and was a popular young man with many friends.
Local Councillor John McGahon, who knew Robert from their school days at Dundalk Grammar School, described Robert as his best friend.
‘Robert McLoughlin has been one of my best friends for as long as I can remember. He’s best friends with about five or six of us who are a very tight group.
‘Robert to me and my group of friends was always the go to guy. He was always the guy you’d go to if you had a problem. He was always the guy you’d go to if you needed help and he was always the guy you could rely on.
‘ This is just such a total and utter tragedy. I’ve never been in this position before to explain it properly. All I can say is that he will be sincerely and greatly missed by every single one of his friends, who are in the hundreds. He’ll be greatly missed by his older brother and sister and he’ll be greatly missed by his mother and father and the rest of his extended family.’
Dundalk FC posted a tribute to him stating: ‘Robert was a well known Dundalk supporter and his tragic death has shocked us all. We extend our deepest sympathies to his parents Sid and Attracta, brother Stephen and sister Kim and extended family.
We know that this tragedy has deeply affected many people in our community and everybody at the club sends our support to his many friends.’
Robert is reposing at his Newry Road from 2pm until 8pm on Wednesday. Removal on Thursday morning at 11.40am to St. Joseph’s Redemptorist Church, arriving for Mass at 12 o’clock. Funeral cortège will drive to his home on the Newry Road and walk from there to St Patrick’s Cemetery for burial. House private on Thursday morning please.