Poignant graveside event will mark Ronan’s 11th birthday

by Dionne Meehan

School friends of a Tyrone boy killed in a hit-and-run incident in 2023 will tomorrow mark what would have been his 11^th birthday.

Ronan Wilson died in Bundoran in September 2023 while visiting the Donegal holiday resort with his family.

Former classmates of Ronan, who was from Kildress, will tomorrow mark what would have been his 11th birthday by releasing balloons at his graveside at St. Mary’s Church Cemetery in Dunnamore.

It will be a day of much emotion for Ronan’s family and friends, and this week, his parents, Dean and Emma Wilson, spoke of their heartache 18 months after losing their son.

Mr Wilson said living every day without Ronan is a ‘nightmare’.

“After Ronan died, in that first three to six months, you had family members and friends around you.

“Now we have nobody. Nobody calls to see us, nobody phones and it gets very lonely. It feels like being in a boat lost at sea.”

Growing up, Ronan, who loved football, spent much of his childhood holidaying in the seaside town of Bundoran.

There, he loved spending time at the beach, playing in the park and visiting the amusements.

However, since his sad passing, Ronan’s family now find it hard to visit the area – a place they had been visiting since they were children themselves.

With antisocial behaviour long being an issue in Bundoran, late last year three speed ramps were installed on Atlantic Way, the road where Ronan was knocked down.

These works were carried out as part of a regeneration project to curtail speeding in the area.

However, Mr Wilson criticised these works, saying the ramps should have been installed years ago.

“If that had of been the case, there is a good possibility Ronan would still be here,” he said.

“The council in Donegal are very slack; they should have had that sorted. Now our wee man is dead over it.”

Mr Wilson described Atlantic Way as a ‘race track’ the night Ronan died.

“It was always a rallying match up and down that straight,” he said.

“Hopefully the speed ramps will save another family from going through what we are going through.

“But at the end of the day, it is too late for us.”

Bundoran councillor Michael McMahon said he had been calling for the installation of ramps in the area for quite a number of years.

“I fast-forwarded it the best I could after Ronan’s death,” he said.

“Hopefully there will never be another accident so severe.

“My sympathies are with the family who lost Ronan on that dreadful day.”

Ahead of Ronan’s 11th birthday tomorrow, his parents are planning to install a memorial bench in Bundoran. They hope the bench will offer a place where family and friends can honour his memory during their visits to the town.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to raise some funds for the new bench.

Those wishing to make a donation can do so at https://gofund.me/011a07cd