The wife of a young father who was killed in a farm tragedy in Meath this week has said they were "so lucky" for all the years they had together and will "cherish every memory".
David McAteer, 37, died tragically following an accident at his home farm in the Castletown area at around 12.30pm on Tuesday. He leaves behind a young family of three children - Dáithí, Alannah and Tadhg - as well as his heartbroken wife Zoe, who is expecting their fourth child - a baby boy they have already named Loughlin.
Speaking to The Irish Mirror, Zoe said he was "everybody’s confidant" and the type of person anyone could call if they needed help - he would sort it. She said he was an "amazing" father who idolised his children and "everybody just loved him".
"He was an actual living angel. I know everyone is going to say that about someone when they die but he was a peacekeeper," she said.
READ NEXT: Man dies following workplace accident in Meath
"He never lost his temper. He always had a cool head and he was everybody’s confidant so David’s phone never stopped ringing from morning to night.
"He wanted to bring everybody together, he didn’t want anybody not talking, he sorted out everything.
"He was everybody’s counsellor. If there was something going wrong or if somebody had a bad day or somebody had something happen in their own lives, they were on the phone to David and he fixed it for them somehow.
"That’s the kind of person he was. Everybody just loved him."
Heartfelt tributes have flooded in for David after his death, with those who knew him describing him as an "exemplary" father as well as a "very successful farmer", who leaves behind a large circle of family and friends. As well as being a loving husband and father, David was also a keen rugby player, taking the family to see Leinster rugby matches.
David and Zoe were teenage sweethearts who had been together for 18 years, having been set up to go to the Debs together, but only started dating after Zoe had finished her Leaving Cert.
"We are together since I was 16, he is two years older than me," Zoe said. "My friend in school was going to the Debs with his friend and he was looking for someone to go with.
"We were friends the first year and then after my Leaving Cert we got together that summer and we started officially going out. He came to my Debs then and we have been together ever since."
They got married in 2014 and then were "blessed" with three children, Dáithí, Alannah and Tadhg, born in 2016, 2017, and 2019 respectively.
"It’s been a whirlwind. We built a house together, we worked so hard together, sometimes we just sat back and said ‘how did we do it?’," Zoe said.
"We were such a great team. We were so lucky."
Zoe said their three children adored him and he equally "idolised" them back, always making time for family days out and holidays together no matter how busy he was on the farm.
Zoe said: "David was an amazing Daddy to them. He idolised them. You just wouldn’t get a look in when he was around. I could be sitting at the table or we could be out for dinner or in the park and the three of them would be on his knee and I’d have none. As soon as he was gone, you’d have them then but Daddy was number one.
"They had amazing time for their Daddy and he had amazing time for them. The years they had together was just class."
Zoe is currently pregnant with their fourth child and she said David was "looking forward" to the arrival of the new baby.
"We are expecting. I am 23 weeks now and due in October. We were looking forward to that," she said. "We had the other three very close together but we always wanted [another] but we were just enjoying the other three so much.
"We were blessed already with the three of them, they are absolutely class kids, you couldn’t ask for better little kids. They’re super cool."
Zoe said they will now cherish the happy memories they made as a family, and she is grateful David fit so much in during his life.
"I don’t know how he fit it all in between the farm and it was just non-stop," she said. "We got to go on so many holidays and days out and trips here and there. He made time when there was none.
"Every day was jam packed. For as long as I’ve known David there was never an idle moment, every space in time was filled. There was a plan and we were going somewhere or we were having someone over or visiting.
"We were so lucky to have him as long as we did and we have to cherish every memory that we do have."
Zoe was at home on Tuesday when the tragic accident happened after picking up her youngest son from pre-school at 12 o’clock. She wants to warn people who are working on a farm to take that bit of extra caution or to slow down as it could prevent a similar tragedy from happening.
"I was at home on Tuesday, I was after picking up the little fellow from pre-school at 12 o’clock. His mum came flying up the driveway and I knew something was wrong. She said ‘Come quick David’s after getting stuck’."
Zoe found David inside the silage wagon in the yard, where he was fatally injured when trying to remove an obstruction from the machine.
"He was in the machine freeing up a blockage, which I think he has done before and for some reason it didn’t work out this time," she said. "He took that risk, that he probably has done a number of times, but this time it didn’t work out.
"All I know, and I want to make sure everybody knows, is that he fought [for his life]. The strength in that man and the fight he put up not to [be dragged] in was unreal. He equaled the strength of that machine.
"That’s how much he wanted to stay with us and I think it’s important that everybody knows that. He tried his best."
Zoe said David wouldn't have taken risks around the farm and was aware of the dangers of farm work, anticipating dangers and making sure their kids were safe.
"I don’t know how it could have happened, we will think of all these questions over the next while and come to terms with how much of a freak accident it was. Was he tired, was he not thinking straight, was he rushing?
"He was very much safety conscious, he would always do things the right way. He’d see stuff that needed to be looked at and be seeing the danger to fix it before it created a problem.
"I don’t know how it happened and why it happened. He wasn’t under-cautious. He had too much to lose."
Zoe said the community in Castletown have been offering the family huge support since the tragedy.
"I don’t even know how to explain how incredible they’ve been. We haven’t had to worry about a single thing," she said.
"The farmers have been over here at six o’clock every morning and they’ve done everything that needed to be done and then stuff that wasn’t even necessary.
"The field beside the house is mowed and there’s a car park that they’ve put stones down, there were diggers out, within 24 hours it was done.
"The local shop has sent up so much stuff. Doughty’s [MACE] have been incredible.
"Everybody is calling, everybody is offering the support. All of our phones are flat out and everybody is just absolutely devastated and heartbroken that he’s gone. They want to do everything they can.
"Peader and Bobby [from Farrelly’s Funeral Directors] have thought of everything and they’ve made it so easy. They’ve made it bearable to get through it."
Zoe said: "We’re so happy we had him for as long as we did, we couldn’t be any more grateful that we had him for the time that we did. We will never forget him and he’s always going to be with us and that’s a fact."
Caren, David’s sister, also told the Irish Mirror about her brother. She said, speaking about when David was born: "I was six. I mean, I was the eldest. He was our new baby…. I remember looking down and thinking I'm going to look after you."
Caren continued, explaining that they both loved animals, with David becoming a farmer and Caren a vet. "Growing up we loved animals here," she said.
"We grew up on a farm, I was mad about animals and so was he, so he became the farmer and I became the vet. We worked together as adults, if he had a sick animal he would ring me to come home.
"His hugs are indescribable, he would hug you his whole heart would flow into your heart, that love.
"He wouldn’t want to let you go and he wouldn’t want to let you go. We never had any bad words between us, or any of us, any of the siblings. He always wanted us all to be happy and he was happy.
"An old vet who used to come here used to say ‘he has the quietest cows in the country’ because of the way they were rared.' You know there was love and attention given to them and kindness and gentleness."
Caren continued: "He loved the kids, it all revolved around fun. I'd come home during the week and he dropped everything and would get out of the tractor and go talk to the kids and ask them what they were doing. He would be interested in knowing everything about them.
"His way with animals was unbelievable. Even when he died the other day in the trailer his dog, got him beside them and lay beside him and kept licking his face."
Sinéad, another of David’s sisters, also told the Irish Mirror that her brother was a "smiler" and that he lit up people’s day.
Sinéad said: "He's just an amazing, amazing soul. The best brother that anyone could ask for. Best uncle and best husband.
"I'm not just saying that. He was a smiler that's how he was, he smiled every day and he lit up people's day."
David will repose at his parents Pauline and Jimmy's residence on Friday from 2pm to 8pm and on Saturday from 2pm to 8pm, with the removal to the church on Sunday morning at 10.45am. His Funeral Mass will take place at the Church of St. Louis and St. Mary’s Church, in Rathkenny on Sunday at 11.30am.
He will be buried afterwards in the adjoining cemetery.
Join our new WhatsApp community! Click this link to receive your daily dose of Dublin Live content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Sign up to the Dublin Live Newsletter to get all the latest Dublin news straight to your inbox.
