He had a magical smile, a sense of the ridiculous . . . ‘Oh my God, he was so special’

The flags at the Church of the Three Patrons in Rathgar flew at half mast on Wednesday morning as hundreds of young mourners embraced before paying their last respects to their friend, Niccolai Schuster.

The young men who helped to carry his coffin wore the red football jerseys of his beloved Bayern Munich with the name Schuster printed on the back. Others wore the blue and white of his secondary school, St Mary’s College, Rathmines.

Wearing club colours, the young members of the congregation looked more like attendees at a football or rugby match, than mourners, but the jerseys and team scarves seemed like appropriate attire for the funeral of “sports mad” Mr Schuster.

A photograph of the UCD arts student that has circulated since the tragic balcony collapse in Berkeley shows him standing by a swimming pool in Bangkok, arms outstretched, Dublin GAA jersey proudly on display; another shows him posing with Bayern Munich star Bastian Schweinsteiger.

“Over the last two years Nick and I became particularly close and spent a lot of time in each other’s company,” his mother, Graziella, told the congregation. “The PlayStation is in my office and he would play the Fifa soccer game while I worked, the two of us chatting away.” She said her son “brought nothing but joy to us and everyone he met”. He wasn’t perfect, she added, but he was a very lovable rogue.

His father John said his son was the “love of our lives”. He had a magical smile, a sense of the ridiculous and he was “sports mad” . “Oh my God, he was so special,” he told mourners.

Both of his parents remarked on the strong bond Niccolai (21) shared with his younger brother, Alexei, and the pride they had in each other. Alexei, who is due to start sixth year in school in September said he was “so, so proud of Nick”.

“I used to hear great stories about him and I would always try to be like him,” he said. He fought back tears as he told mourners “words cannot describe the pain I’m feeling. I’m split in two.” He spoke passionately about his best friend, “the king of tomfoolery”.

Hundreds of mourners attended the service, including relatives of Eoghan Culligan, another victim of the balcony collapse in Berkeley, California.

President Michael D Higgins and Taoiseach Enda Kenny were represented by their aides de camp Lieut Col Michael Kiernan and Comdt Peter Norton; Minister for Health Leo Varadkar represented the Government; US ambassador to Ireland Kevin O’Malley was represented by his deputy chief of mission Stuart Dwyer.

Parish priest Fr Joe Mullen said the deaths of the six students had sent a “tidal wave of grief and loss across the Atlantic Ocean”.

At the same time as Niccolai’s funeral took place in Rathgar, hundreds of mourners were paying their final respects to Olivia Burke in Foxrock.

The funerals of Eimear Walsh and Eoghan Culligan were held on Tuesday; Lorcán Miller will be buried today. Ashley Donohoe was buried on Sunday in California.

Fr Mullen reminded the congregation that the Mass was being streamed live, meaning the victims still receiving treatment in hospital in the US could watch the service over the internet.

During the eulogies, Mr Schuster’s father said the tragedy in Berkeley was likely to increase parents’ anxiety about letting their children go abroad. “Let your kids go,” he urged them. “Do not let this incident deter you. Let your children have freedom, it will give them life experience.”

Following the Mass, the hush outside on Rathgar Road was broken by sustained applause as the hearse carrying Mr Schuster drove towards the crematorium at Mount Jerome, Harold’s Cross.