Mum’s warm tributes to amazing son

Mum’s warm tributes to amazing son

31 December 2014

A GRIEVING mother whose son died in a three car crash on the outskirts of Downpatrick three days before Christmas has paid a glowing tribute to him.

Twenty year-old Jack Murnin died in a crash at the Strangford Road around lunchtime on December 22. The accident which claimed his life took place 14 years after his father Gerard was also killed in a road accident at the Ballydugan Road in Downpatrick.

Jack’s mother Pauline described her son — who worked at the Lobster Pot in Strangford — as an “amazing person” and someone who was “loved by everyone who knew him.” She said he ran a small business from their Lismore Road home in Bishopscourt in his spare time repairing laptop computers, tablets and smartphones.

Mrs. Murnin said her son was on his way to meet a friend who lives at the Myra Road, with the tragic accident taking place just a short distance before he reached his destination.

“Jack had worked in the Lobster Pot since it reopened under new management and was training to be a bar manager,” she continued. “It was Jack’s day off when he went to collect his friend and he was literally just a corner away from his friend’s house when the accident occurred.”

Mrs. Murnin, who went to the scene of the accident which claimed her son’s life, said her son is also survived by twin sisters Molly and Taylor and a little brother Charlie.

“Jack was an amazing, fantastic person,” said his mother. “He was a very loving person and has never been in any trouble. He was a hard worker and did really well at school. He was also offered a place at the University of Ulster’s Magee campus in Derry but did not take it up.”

Describing Jack as a “computer genius,” Mrs. Murnin said her son had a gift which allowed him to repair laptops and smartphones, explaining he was self taught and that as a result of a Facebook post offering to carry out repairs “he was inundated with requests.”

She continued: “Jack was a very loving son and did so much for me. He had a love of motorcycle racing and was literally reared in paddocks at many race meetings. In the past he has worked as part of the pit crew for racers Robert, Michael and William Dunlop and Timmy Elwood. It would be fair to say Jack was very well known.

“He also did pit crew work for American rider Patricia Fernandez at this year’s Ulster Grand Prix at Dundrod. Motorcycle racing, motocross and computers were certainly Jack’s main interests.”

Mrs. Murnin said a minute’s silence will be observed at a motocross event outside Strangford tomorrow in her son’s memory. Organisers were going to cancel the event as a mark of respect, but she urged them to go ahead.

“Jack would have been taking part in the event and would have wanted it to go ahead. Our family wants it to go ahead,” she continued. “While we are all devastated we know Jack drew very special people to him. All his friends are really good people and Jack was the leader of the pack. Everyone followed him.

“He was not into drinking and was a very sensible driver because his daddy was killed by a drunk driver 14 years ago. When Jack went out with his mates he was always the driver. He rarely went drinking and over the past eight months he had been out on two occasions.”

Mrs. Murnin said she has taken great comfort from the many people who have sympathised with the family since her son’s death and that she has received over 1,000 mass cards and messages from people across the globe. She also revealed her son’s funeral mass was watched live by relatives around the world, including Ghana where a cousin lives, via a webcam.

“The service was watched by people in South Africa, Australia, New York, New Zealand and I have had motorcycle racers from across the world emailing me and posting messages on Facebook, people I did not realise Jack knew. Racers who compete in Moto GP, World Superbike and British Superbike events have all been in touch and their kind words mean so much the family.”

Mrs. Murnin said she has around 1,200 social media messages still to read and that her son, who played gaelic football and hurling for St. Patrick’s Grammar and GAA for Saul Gaelic Club, enjoyed success on the sports field and had accumulated a haul of trophies before injury forced him to give up the sport.

She added: “Jack was an amazing son. I have been blown away by the messages of support and the number of people sending flowers to our home. The door hasn’t stopped and while Jack is no longer here, we take comfort from the fact that he was so popular and so well-liked.

“Everyone loved Jack. There is not one person who has a bad word to say about him. He lost his daddy and he was a sensitive person and was someone who could go out and enjoy himself without drink. He just loved the craic and he loved people. Being stuck behind a desk was not for Jack.

He was a people person and we all miss him.”