Tragic biker, 22, was '˜a pleasant young soul with a big heart', mourners told at funeral

Nathan Doran, a 22-year-old from Lurgan, was a former pupil of Lismore Comprehensive who worked close to the Dobbin Road between Portadown and Armagh where the crash happened at around 10.30pm on Wednesday.

Police said Mr Doran’s motorcycle collided with a car driven by an older lady.

He was laid to rest in St Colman’s Cemetery on Sunday afternoon, following Requiem Mass at St Paul’s Church.

Fr Brian Fitzpatrick, in a touching homily, described him as “the magnet that attracted and the glue that united people one to another”.

“Questions of how did this happen begin to surface through the numbness and the shock that comes first, and the question of why did it happen will be one that we struggle with in the weeks and months to come,” he said.

“The tragedy of accidents on our roads tells us that all kinds of people get caught up in these cruel circumstances. And for so many of them it is as cruel and as random as simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Fr Fitzpatrick told mourners at St Paul’s.

“But it does make it all the harder to accept, for Nathan was a lad who loved life and had so much to live for. Anybody who knew him knew him to be a pleasant young soul with a big heart who would do anything to help you.

“He was an affable and outgoing fellow, a lad who would speak to anybody. The cheeky smile that he always wore made it easy to approach him and get to know him.

“I get the feeling that he knew that he knew he was a good-looking youngster, and he took great pride in his appearance, perfectly grooming the hair and making sure that the beard was clipped and always choosing a sharp jacket and shirt for heading out.

“He had a love for dancing and singing, that he got from his mum Joanne.”

Fr Fitzpatrick added: “Nathan was the magnet that attracted and the glue that united people one to another.”