“HOW DO I TELL YOUR NEPHEW WE’LL NEVER SEE YOU AGAIN?” — FAMILY’S HEARTBREAK AFTER 16-YEAR-OLD BRYAN LOWE DIES IN HIT-AND-RUN

He was just 16. He had a future ahead of him. Then, one Friday night, everything changed.

Bryan Lowe was riding his e-bike near Cloonlara on the Clare-Limerick border when he was involved in a fatal collision.

By the time emergency services arrived, the teenager was lying unresponsive at the roadside.

He would never make it home.

Now his devastated family is demanding answers as Gardaí intensify their search for the vehicle believed to have been involved.

A NIGHTMARE NO FAMILY EXPECTED

The collision happened shortly after 11 p.m. on Friday, September 4, on the L3050 at Cottage Cross near Cloonlara.

Bryan, from Cloonlara and Westbury in southeast Clare, was riding an e-bike when the collision occurred.

Emergency services found him unresponsive at the roadside.

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Gardaí said a second vehicle involved in the collision failed to remain at the scene. The road was closed while forensic collision investigators examined the area, and a post-mortem examination was arranged.

“HOW DO I TELL YOUR NEPHEW?”

Bryan’s family has been left struggling to process a loss they never imagined.

His sister Chloe shared an emotional tribute, writing:

“How do I tell your nephew we’ll never see you again?”

She described Bryan as her only brother and said he had his “whole life ahead” of him.

She added that he was his mother’s only son and the only brother to her and Jane.

Another family member described his death as happening under “cruel circumstances.”

Friends also flooded social media with messages remembering the teenager and expressing disbelief that he was gone.

“AN ABSOLUTE GENTLEMAN”

Bryan was a sixth-year student at St Munchin’s College in Limerick.

His school community was devastated by the news.

Deputy principal Lorraine Shiels described him as an “absolute gentleman” who would do anything asked of him without complaint.

She said Bryan had a kindness and a big heart and should have been looking ahead to his Leaving Certificate, his future and the possibilities ahead of him.

Instead, his classmates and teachers were left mourning a young life lost far too soon.

The school opened its doors for students who needed somewhere to gather, talk and remember their friend.

NOW GARDAÍ ARE LOOKING FOR A SPECIFIC CAR

The investigation has now entered a critical stage.

Gardaí have issued a fresh appeal for information about a silver or gold Skoda Octavia, registration 05-C-5982, which was in the Cloonlara/Castleconnell area between 6 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. Saturday.

Investigators want to speak with the driver or occupants of the vehicle.

They are also asking motorists who travelled through the area to check dash-cam footage, while residents and businesses are being urged to review CCTV and doorbell-camera recordings.

Even footage that appears insignificant could potentially help investigators establish what happened that night.

Anyone with information is being asked to contact Henry Street Garda Station in Limerick at 061 212400, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station.

A FAMILY WAITING FOR ANSWERS

Bryan’s death has left his family with grief — but also unanswered questions.

Who was driving the vehicle?

What happened in the moments before the collision?

And why did the vehicle leave the scene?

For Bryan’s loved ones, those questions are impossible to ignore.

He was 16.

He was a son, a brother, an uncle, a student and a friend.

His family had expected to watch him grow up.

Instead, they are now sharing photographs of a young man whose future was cut short on a dark road in County Clare.

And somewhere, investigators believe, there may be a camera recording the few seconds that could finally explain what happened.

Gardaí are asking the public to help them find it.