“OUR world has been shattered.”
That was how the devastated family of Dáire Maguire described their loss after the motorsport enthusiast tragically died while competing in the Sligo Stages Rally in Ballymote at the weekend.
Mr Maguire, pictured, 46, from Lisnaskea was the co-driver in a Ford Escort driven by Gene McDonald (35) from Cootehill, Cavan when the car left the road and collided with a wall on Sunday, killing both men.
“He was my best friend and the best husband and father you could wish for,” his heartbroken wife Breda said.
Mr Maguire’s distraught brothers Conor and Eamonn fought back tears as they described how much their sibling meant to them.
“Our world has been shattered. He was our baby brother. He was such a wonderful brother. Always kind and considerate,” Conor said.
“He was even-tempered and well-liked by everyone.
“Dáire was also a great storyteller. He’d act out a story and have everybody laughing. It’s still hard to believe what’s happened.”
Mr Maguire was well known in Irish rallying circles both north and south of the border. He had previously won the Co-Driver of the Year award.
“Rallying was his passion. He lived for the sport,” Eamonn said. “His family, especially his daughter Meghan, had taken a big interest in rallying. They were all at the rally at the weekend when the accident happened.”
For more on this story see this week’s Fermanagh Herald.
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