FAMILY SAYS GOODBYE TO LITTLE PETER MULCAIRE AFTER HEARTBREAKING TRAGEDY

A grieving family has said a heartbreaking final goodbye to two-year-old Peter Mulcaire, remembering the little boy as their “sunshine” and “pride.”

Peter, from Abbeycourt in Rathkeale, County Limerick, died after being struck by a jeep while playing outside his home on September 5. The vehicle did not remain at the scene, and Gardaí launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Just days before his death, Peter had begun attending a local preschool. His older brother Jim had walked him into his first class, which Fr Eamonn Fitzgibbon described during the funeral Mass as a “new adventure” for the little boy.

At St. Mary’s Church in Rathkeale, Peter’s family and friends gathered to celebrate his short but deeply loved life.

His favourite songs, including “You Are My Sunshine” and “Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star,” were played during the service. A special song written for Peter remembered him as his mother’s sunshine, his father’s pride, his brother Jim’s best friend and his baby sister Delilah’s world.

Personal belongings were also placed near his coffin, including his schoolbag and buggy, while family members brought items connected to the things he loved.

Mourners wore shirts featuring Peter’s photograph and the words “Forever 2.” Others came dressed as characters from some of his favourite cartoons, including Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Peppa Pig, PAW Patrol and Mario.

One of the most emotional moments came when Peter’s baby sister, Delilah, was baptised during the funeral Mass.

Peter had been baptised at the same church in April 2024. At the family’s request, Delilah’s baptism was held during the funeral so that Peter could remain part of the important family moment. She wore the same white shawl that Peter, his brother Jim and their father James had worn for their own baptisms.

Outside the church, school staff formed a guard of honour as the family said goodbye.

Peter was later laid to rest at New Cemetery in Rathkeale following the funeral service.

The Garda investigation into the road incident remains ongoing. A man in his 30s was arrested at another location on suspicion of driving under the influence of an intoxicant for the purpose of providing an evidential blood or urine sample. He was later released pending the results of the analysis.

For Peter’s family, however, the investigation is only one part of a much deeper loss.

He was a son, a brother and a little boy who had only just begun discovering the world around him.

His life lasted just two years, but the memories he left with those who loved him will remain for a lifetime.

“He was our sunshine.”

And for the people of Rathkeale who gathered to remember him, little Peter will forever be remembered as Forever 2.