Outpouring of grief as hundreds gather to say final farewell to GAA stalwart Niall ‘Trigger’ MacEneaney

“He was always there, every step of the way through happy times and some sad times, to put an arm around you and always offer lovely words of comfort. An absolute gentleman and a true friend.”

The town of Drogheda was brought to a halt on Saturday morning, as hundreds of mourners, creating a sea of colour in various GAA tops, gathered to say farewell to local man Niall ‘ Trigger’ MacEneaney.

The short route from his family home on the Ballymakenny Road to Our Lady of Lourdes Church was lined with men and women of all ages carrying hurleys, a fitting tribute to the young man who had excelled in the game both as a player and coach.

Niall died in tragic circumstances in the early hours of St Patrick’s Day morning; struck by a car which left the scene, yards from his home on the Rathmullen Road.

His parish church was packed to capacity; his loss felt most keenly by his heartbroken wife Grace, Dad Ollie and Mam Marian, brothers Alan, David, Brian and Owen, and his large extended family.

His brother Brian gave an emotional eulogy, speaking of his sibling’s warm, humorous and cheeky disposition, and of course the start of his passion for hurling.

‘Niall grew up one of five boys; he always used to joke he was Mam and Dad’s favourite, they didn’t really contradict him either,” said his brother.

“That’s what Niall was like, he was always joking around, making people laugh, there probably were not as many laughs here today for his liking. That’s why he always made fast friends.

‘When he first went training with the Wolfe Tones’ Senior team, he was only 14 but before you knew it, he made great friends with a bunch of grown men. It was the same when he went to college in Maynooth, he had friends from every county in Ireland. A lot of people make great friends in college, and they graduate and never see them again, Niall wasn’t like that. He wasn’t the type to let friendships slip, he would always try to keep those connections strong”.

Alongside hurling, Niall’s love of his beloved wife Grace and equally of his dogs Bill, Rookie and Murray was legendary.

‘ There’s one connection Niall made that was extra special, I’ve never seen him happier than when he put that ring on Grace’s finger,” Brian told the congregation. “He was much more than a hurler; he was a son, brother, uncle, nephew, cousin, friend, dog lover, husband and he was everybody’s favourite”.

Mass celebrant Fr Desmond Branigan echoed those sentiment in his words.

“He loved his dogs… part of the reason Niall is so known in the town that he was often found walking the dogs at all hours of the day and stopping to chat with the people he met,” said the priest.

“Hurling was always special. He played at school here up the street at St Joseph’s CBS, that led to playing for his local club Wolfe Tones, starting aged 14 in the early 1990s continuing all through his adult life. That led to playing for the Louth Senior County team and he was a member of the hurling team at Maynooth University in his spare time.

“He assumed he was only going to be an assistant coach, but he grew into the role and managed that great team to two successive county titles in 2022 and 2023. He even managed to pull on the jersey and boots one or more times when an extra player was needed”.

During the Requiem Mass, family members brought personal mementoes of Trigger’s life to the altar, including his hurley, jerseys of the many teams he played for and coached, and his dog Bill’s lead.

Along with his passion for hurling, Niall even found time to work, his day job being a very long and successful one in the Revenue offices in Mount Street, Dublin, where he was a valued mentor to many.

The gentle nature and popularity of this man, whose life was so tragically cut short, was evident by the outpouring of tributes from teammates, friends and work colleagues.

“I had the pleasure of having Niall as my mentor when I started working in Revenue in Mount Street. A nicer and more genuine person you couldn’t find. He was so knowledgeable and generous with his time and expertise,” wrote one former colleague.

Niall made his final trip along the road he had driven countless times as he was laid to rest in Newtown Cross Lawn Cemetery close to the Fechin’s pitch.

Investigations are still ongoing into the circumstances of his death, with a serving Garda still under suspension as part of the hunt for the driver.