Northern Ireland

Girlfriend pays moving tribute to young Tyrone man Matty McGuigan, who died suddenly in Australia

The 24-year-old, a star footballer, died just two days after arriving in Sydney with partner Clodagh Corr

The funeral cortege of Matty McGuigan (24), who died suddenly just two days after moving to Australia. Picture by Pacemaker. (Pacemaker)

Matty McGuigan, the young Tyrone man who died suddenly in Australia, told his girlfriend he had never been happier during the two days they were in the country before his sudden death.

Mourners at the 24-year-old’s funeral in Kildress heard Clodagh Corr pay a moving tribute to her partner of nine years.

Mr McGuigan died on December 2 in Sydney just as the couple were starting what was planned to be the biggest adventure after many in their life.

“Trying to summarise our nine years in a few sentences is impossible as we lived life to the full,” Ms Corr said at the funeral Mass in a packed St Mary’s Church in Dunamore.

Kildress clubman Mattie McGuigan "Our shining light"
Kildress clubman MattyMcGuigan

“We did everything together. We were best friends, you were the love of my life and we were the best team,” she said of a relationship that began when he was still playing Under 16 for his GAA club.

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Mr McGuigan was a star footballer for Kildress Wolf Tones and Tyrone. He also trained the local minor before the couple’s travelled on their latest adventure, the “big one to Australia”.

Whether travelling or at home “my life was fullfilled”, Ms Corr said.

Matty McGuigan's coffin is carried into St Mary's Church Dunamore (Pacemaker)

“Our two days in Sydney, you told me you have never been as happy in your life, with our whole life ahead of us,” she said, addressing Mr McGuigan.

“You blossomed into the most perfect person everyone wanted to be around...everybody just loved, your craic, your personality, your kind and loving nature who would have done anything for anyone.”

She added to laughter: “You were quiet by nature but took out on Twitter.” He was adored by her own family se said.

Lead celebrant Fr Patrick Hughes described much sadness over the last 15 days since Mr McGuigan’s death on December 2, but also “glimmers of light” as “wonderful stories” were exchanged, a tributes paid to this “wonderful and talented kid that has left us in this world”.

Fr Hughes also was struck “very deeply” by a tribute by singer-songwriter Dermot Kennedy at a concert and the singing of one of Mr McGuigan’s favourite songs, ‘Outnumbered’.

“The song dedicated to him struck me very deeply,” Fr Hughes said, adding the words of the song were spiritual and could be comforting for his loved ones as they referred to someone being out there somewhere.

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“Matty is out there somewhere, we can’t see him but he can see us,” he said.

Fr Hughes added: “Matthew was a winner...who won all the medals and all the trophies but today Kildress has lost and we question how we lost and why we lost and is there any way we can win again. That is the big question we are left with today.”

The former Holy Trinity College, Cookstown, pupil had already joined a club in Sydney, the Cormac McAnallen GFC, named after another young Tyrone man who died suddenly from an undetected heart condition, in 2004.

Members of the Kildress club formed a guard of honour before the Mass, while a club jersey along with a photograph of his family and one with Ms Corr were placed on the altar.

Along with Ms Corr, Mr McGuigan is survived by his parents, Mel and Grainne, siblings Darragh, Liam and Karol along with a wide family circle.