Father of boy found dead in London tells funeral in Bray of their ‘special bond’

The funeral of seven-year-old Oisín O’Driscoll, who was found dead with his mother Sinéad Higgins in their London home earlier this month, has heard a moving tribute to the child from his father, Shane O’Driscoll.

Mr O’Driscoll told the congregation at the Church of the Holy Redeemer in Bray, Co Wicklow, that “Oisín was a boy who had to put up with far too much in the past couple of years and despite his mum’s troubles, Oisín did love her”. The bodies of Ms Higgins (37) and her son were discovered at Ruislip in London on Wednesday. British police said the deaths were consistent with a murder-suicide.

Mr O’Driscoll, a barrister working in London, was originally from Bray. He told his son’s funeral Mass that the eulogy was “the hardest thing I’ve ever had to write or say”. He said a lot of people were dealing with the loss of Oisín a number of communities had been affected by his death. These included the town of Bray, “where Oisín lived for his first few years”, and “Westport, where his mum’s family were from” as well as “Ruislip where Oisín and I lived, where his mum lived”, as well as the school community of St Swithun Wells.

Mr O’Driscoll said Oisín “touched so many hearts in his all too short life and many people had been “robbed” by his death. Oisín “will always be seven years old and he will be spared all the hardship and heartbreak that go hand in hand with growing up, but he has also been robbed of all that wonder and experience of being a child and others have been robbed of having Oisín in their life.”

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He read a letter from a teacher at Oisín’s school which began: “As a teacher I am privileged to have known such an amazing gentle, kind boy. Oisín had many very special qualities. He was intelligent, articulate, fun, always questioning, very fond of friends and loved playing football,” The letter went on to detail Oisín’s abilities in football, drama and music and recount how he was “competitive on the sports field and strong and brave”.

“Oisín and I had a very special bond which will now have to pass on to a different level,” said Mr O’Driscoll. “Oisín touched so many hearts in his short time, most of all mine, and so many of you know how much I loved being a dad. Most of all, I’m going to miss our little chats. The morning routine with him, having tea and our little chats where he would manage to squeeze an extra few minutes before having to go to bed. Sleep well, little man.”

A single white dove was released as Oisín was buried in Kilternan cemetery in south Dublin on Friday. Ms Higgins’s funeral is expected to take place in her native Westport at a later date.