
Family of Hannah Leonard in mourning as brother Dylan dies suddenly
The appeal was shared on social media channels by members of the community and the local gardaí were alerted with searches immediately conducted. The family's worst fears were confirmed when Dylan's body was found.
It's another devastating blow for the Leonard family, who continue to support Hannah, currently in her fifth month of rehabilitation at Beaumont Hospital, after she was hit by a car in October while out running in order to train for the Dublin Marathon in Sicily, Italy.
She was left in a coma with brain injuries and her parents and siblings, including Dylan, immediately rushed over to Sicily in order to be by her bedside. Hannah returned by air ambulance to Dublin in February and remains a patient at Beaumont Hospital, which specialises in brain injuries.
Funeral details for Dylan have yet to be confirmed but his family have asked for donations to be made in his memory to the RNLI or Pieta House.
The sailing and the water were a big part of Dylan's life, with his large circle of friends from Royal St George's Yacht Club and the Royal Irish Yacht Club among those in mourning today, along with his friends at Presentation College Bray.
One of his teachers from Pres Bray described Dylan as 'a joy to have in class'.
'A beautiful soul with a cheeky grin who will be missed greatly by his Pres friends and all his classmates. I am heartbroken at his passing,' they added.
While the Royal Irish Yacht Club said that 'Dylan will be remembered with love by his fellow sailors and the wider RIYC community, we extend our deepest sympathy to his family at this sad time'.
He is survived by parents Kevin and Vanessa, his sisters Hannah and Lex (Lily), grandparents Henry, Jim and Claudia, godfather Johnathan Harty, aunts, uncles, cousins and extended family.

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The Irish Sun
27-06-2025
- The Irish Sun
I ditched Dublin to move 10 minutes from Marbella, weekly shop is cheaper & I'll never leave Spain over key difference
HAVE you ever enjoyed your summer holidays so much you wished you could stay forever? That's exactly what Dubliner Sophie Lyons Wilson's family did when she was just nine - and now a mum herself, she's positive she won't be leaving her beloved new home in Spain. 6 Sophie, pictured above with her family, reckons her kids have a better quality of life in Spain 6 Both parents are fluent in Spanish and share their experience of living abroad on TikTok 6 Sophie first moved over to Spain as a child and knew she wanted to raise her own kids there Sophie, 23, says her parents decided to make the move in 2010 after they realised the family was "so much happier" when on their She told the Irish Sun: "We were much happier over here, the days felt brighter and we seemed to have more time. "When we came over it was such a time for friends and family, we were together and we just knew that life would stay like that when we moved over here." And once she met her partner Dylan, they knew Spain was where they wanted to raise their daughter, five, and one-year-old son. The mum-of-two, originally from Living just a 10 minute drive from stunning Marbella, Sophie and her kids enjoy countless beach days and hours spent having fun in playgrounds and activities. Sophie said: "100 per cent there is a huge difference of the quality of life for us since moving. "Just for my kids and all, they seem to grow up a little bit slower over here and that is one of my favourite things. "There is a lot of pressure for kids to start drinking young, smoking and partying. "Whereas over here you still see 14-year-olds in playgrounds and that is one of my favourite things about it, I like that my kids just stay kids a little while longer." 'I would never go back' Dublin Mum moved Spain for better life has free medical care & less societal pressure on kids Sophie shares her experiences on her TikTok account - Sophie and Dylan both speak Spanish - with Dylan, who was born in Spain to Northern Irish parents, running a bar for work. When it comes to costs, Sophie said despite a rise in prices since the She said: "For us, we are a family of four and the weekly shop averages between €100 to €250 a week. 6 From zoos to beaches, the family are never short of things to do 6 Their days are filled with activities in beautiful sunshine "It used to be a lot cheaper but then Covid hit and there's been a small increase but it's still so much cheaper than back home." The family rent a two-bedroom apartment for €1,200 a month, with Sophie admitting rent can be an issue in the area. However she still reckons it is better value than And paired with the stellar quality of life, Sophie says she'll "never leave". EASY DECISION She explained: "Just for the quality of life here, playgrounds open till 8pm, sky is brighter, my weekends are packed full of activities with beaches, pools and zoos. "And with rent, the prices back home I'd probably never leave And praising healthcare in Spain, Sophie said: "Once you have a job over here the healthcare is free and I couldn't fault it. "We also had private health insurance, for the four of us I pay €170 a month and that's full coverage. "I had both of my babies via C-section and they cover everything, if we ever need surgery, honestly I feel like it's the best money I could spend." Primary and secondary public schools are free in the region, with Sophie's daughter still in creche costing the family €300 a month. Sophie said: "We had a private nursery for my daughter and it cost €300 a month and that was for her to be there from 9-5. "With her there five full days a week, you can't even compare it back home." But they are challenges too, one being the loneliness. MISSING HOME Sophie explained: "You take for granted living close to your relatives. "And we were so close to our family, we would see them at least three or four times a week, so to come here not speak a word of the language and only have each other was quite lonely. "Friends that we made, they come and go here as they move over for a few years and then they might move back home. "So we would lose a lot of friends over the years, which created the lonely side of things." But she has since learned the language and immersed herself in the culture, calling locals her "second family". And Sophie is not alone among Irish people who've taken the plunge to make Spain their forever home, as And it's a case of work imitating life, as the Spain expert now runs her own compan y to assist other expats who are planning to relocate to the sun. 6 Sophie has no plans to return home to dreary Dublin


The Irish Sun
24-06-2025
- The Irish Sun
Dad, 29, died when his pancreas began rotting ‘due to drinking' after posting a heartbreaking Facebook message
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I'm facing a lifelong condition that has torn through my life in a matter of days. "This has been the darkest chapter I've ever known - terrifying, humbling, and utterly heartbreaking. "Thank you to everyone who's sent love, prayers, or even a thought my way. I'm still here and I'm not giving up." Warning signs of acute pancreatitis ACUTE pancreatitis is a condition where the pancreas becomes inflamed (swollen) over a short period of time. The most common symptoms include: A sudden, severe pain in the centre of your tummy Feeling or being sick A high temperature of 38C or more Acute pancreatitis is often linked to gallstones or drinking too much alcohol, but sometimes the cause is not known. By reducing how much booze you consume and altering your diet to make gallstones less likely (for example, by eating a balanced diet with at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day and including plenty of whole grains like oats and brown rice), you can reduce your chances of developing acute pancreatitis. Most patients get better within a week, but it can lead to severe complications in some cases. This includes sacs of fluid called pseudocysts, which can cause bloating and indigestion, and necrosis, where the pancreas loses blood supply and some of the tissue starts to die. When this happens, the pancreas can become infected, which can spread into the blood (sepsis) and cause organ failure. Source: NHS He received more than 70 messages in response. Advertisement But three weeks later, Dylan's health began to decline and he was placed into a second coma on May 25. He died three days later - just over a month after being admitted. 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Irish Independent
23-06-2025
- Irish Independent
Large turnout for dawn Wexford tractor run raising mental health awareness
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