A community has turned out to support the family of Ryan Straney as the body of the west Belfast man killed in a crash in Australia returned home ahead of his funeral.
The 27-year-old, from the Hannahstown area, died earlier this month in Sydney when his car was struck on a motorway.
A 96-year-old man is alleged to have driven the wrong way along one of the road’s lanes before colliding with several vehicles.
Ryan, who had moved to Australia in December, was a talented Gaelic footballer and hurler who played with his local club Lámh Dhearg CLG, as well as previously playing as a minor for Antrim.
A funeral for the popular Queen’s University graduate is taking place at St Joseph’s Church in Hannahstown on Saturday.
On Thursday evening, his remains returned to west Belfast, with hundreds of people lining the Upper Springfield Road as Ryan’s coffin was brought to his home.
The hearse carrying his coffin also entered the nearby grounds of Lámh Dhearg, where teammates paid respects to their late club colleague.
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The previous evening saw Lámh Dhearg and All Saints GAC players pay tribute to Ryan with a round of applause ahead of their senior football clash.
A Lámh Dhearg spokesperson thanked All Saints for their fundraising efforts for the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust, which assisted the Straney family in bringing Ryan’s body home from Australia.
The Ballymena club’s £1,000 is part of an overall drive that has seen over £83,000 raised for the charity.
