Pearce Branagan and Ellen McCrilly"He was such a beautiful person inside and out."
The girlfriend of a GAA player who tragically died suddenly on Saturday has taken to Facebook to pay tribute to the boyfriend she described as her "soulmate and best friend all in one."
Pearce Branagan, a talented senior hurler for Clonduff GAC in Hilltown, Co Down passed away on Saturday evening following a suspected cardiac seizure.
Described as a 'young man deeply rooted in his community,' Mr Branagan was in his first year of teaching at St Malachy's Primary School, Kilcoo.
Paying tribute to him in the social media post, his partner Ellen McCrilly said: "He was the type of person who could walk into a room and light it up with his big smile and his stories."
"Pearce was born with a heart defect, but he didn't want that to define who he was as a person," Ellen wrote.
"From running the Belfast City Marathon to playing for his beloved Clonduff, he was determined to not let it control his life."
"I can't thank the doctors, paramedics, first responders and police enough. Every individual who tried to save him is greatly appreciated by Pearce's family and myself," Ellen told the Belfast Telegraph.
She added: "I'm so grateful that I got to spend four amazing years with Pearce, for all the things we did together and trips we went on.
"He was such a beautiful person inside and out."
The 23-year old tragically passed away on Saturday eveningDonations
A JustGiving page has been set up in memory of Pearce, raising money for the Children's Heartbeat Trust.
His family have requested that donations be made to this in lieu of flowers.
