The family of the 81-year-old priest who died in a hit-and-run in Co Roscommon on Saturday night has said he will be “hugely missed”.
Fr Michael Guckian, originally from Co Roscommon, lived with the Oblate order at Mary Immaculate Parish in Inchicore, Dublin.
He was visiting family for the weekend and had been due to return to Dublin on Monday.
Fr Guckian’s family said he will be “hugely missed by his wide circle of friends and relations and the entire community of Drumboylan as well as Inchicore”.
“Fr Michael was well known and liked by young and old alike. He had a special gift to be able to remember the names of teenagers, and he was known to everyone as Fr Michael,” a statement from the Guckian family said.
Fr Guckian was fatally injured at about 11pm in Drumboylan on the Roscommon-Leitrim border and pronounced dead at the scene.
The driver left the scene, but a man aged 20 later presented himself at Carrick-on-Shannon Garda station.
A full forensic and technical examination of the scene was carried out on Sunday morning.
Witnesses or anyone with information is asked to contact Boyle Garda station on 071-9664620, the Garda Confidential Line 1800-666111 or any Garda station.
