Mayo: Eoin Doyle, 12, died in collision between car and train

Eoin was a sixth-class pupil in Cloonfad National School, and was a member of Ballyhaunis GAA club and Cloonfad United FC.

Ballyhaunis GAA club said Eoin was a “talented young footballer” and a “wonderful young boy who was a great friend and teammate to so many within our club”.

Ballyhaunis parish priest Fr Stephen Farragher told Irish broadcaster RTÉ there was an “air of shock and sadness” in the area.

“It’s the kind of thing you hope you won’t be hearing on the news and you hope it won’t be visited on your own community.”

Fr Farragher said he was called to the scene, where emergency services were already in attendance.

“I said some prayers with the little boy and spoke to the members of the gardaí, I spoke to members of the family,” he said.

Fr Farragher told RTÉ that the boy was coming from underage training at the time that the incident occurred.

“They’re a very known, loved family, both families of the young boy’s mam and dad are both very well known locally,” he said.

In a statement, the principal of Cloonfad National School, Shane Morgan, described the little boy as a “talented artist and athlete, who loved music and a smile was never far from his face”.

Gardaí are appealing for witnesses to this incident to come forward.