Galway is mourning a boy who should have had a lifetime ahead of him. Seventeen-year-old Damian Marecki, a Merlin College student, has died after a year-long battle with aggressive cancer, leaving his family devastated and his school community grieving. As classmates, teachers, and neighbours rally around those he loved, they face the heartbreak of a young life left unfi…

Damian Marecki’s death at just 17 has brought profound sadness to Galway and the Merlin College community.

Following a courageous struggle with aggressive cancer over the past year, his loss is now being felt by his family, fellow students, teachers, and neighbours. For a school community mourning one of its own, this is a painful moment: a young person’s future has been cut short, and those around him are left facing an absence no words can adequately explain.

As those who knew Damian come together, support for his devastated family remains at the heart of the community’s response. No gesture can undo their loss, but standing beside them matters. Classmates, school staff, and neighbours are rallying around the family during this difficult time. Beyond the illness that marked his final year, Damian was a son, a student, and a young member of Galway’s community whose life deserves to be remembered.