The late Eamon Og Lally An east Galway community was left grief-stricken as it tried to come to terms with the terrible loss of a much loved young man who died tragically in Spain. Eamon Og Lally had gone to Barcelona with some friends in the hope of finding a summer job, but lost his life when he accidentally fell from an apartment balcony. Poignantly, the 20 year old trainee teacher had decided to return to his home in Gortnahorna, Clontuskert, because there was no work to be found in the Spanish city, and was due to fly home He was the only son of Clontuskert National School Principal, Eamon Lally and his wife Phil. The youngest of a family of three, he is also survived by his sister Maeve and Aoife. His parents were on vacation in Texas when news came through of the terrible loss of their cherished son. They returned to Ireland before flying out to Barcelona to accompany his remains back to Ireland. Eamon Og was an immensely popular young man who had a bright future ahead of him after completing two years of his teacher training at St. Patrick's College. A talented hurler and footballer, as well as an enthusiastic musician, he was best summed up by a distraught neighbour who said that he was simply "as nice a young lad as you'd ever meet." Eamon Og hurled with Kiltormer and was a member of that club's successful under 21 side. A few years ago he helped organise the No Name club in Ballinasloe and was one of its hosts. He was a past pupil of Garbally College. Local Parish Priest Very Rev. Fr. Michael Finneran said this week that the local community were shocked and numbed by the accidental death of a young man who was well known and loved, especially by the children whom he taught when doing relief for his Dad. "He was talented in every way, both as a footballer and hurler, and musically. He was going to make a first class teacher," added Fr. Finneran. Courtesy of the Connacht Tribune July 2004 Tweet

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