Family pays tribute to “beautiful” two-year-old boy killed in tragic Limerick hit-and-run

The family and friends of a two-year-old boy who tragically died after being struck by a jeep in a hit-and-run have paid heartbreaking tribute to the “little soul”.

Peter Mulcaire suffered catastrophic injuries after he was hit in the Abbeycourt area of Rathkeale, Co Limerick, at around 3.50pm on Saturday.

The toddler had been playing on a toy tractor when the fatal collision happened.

Peter had only started attending a local preschool the previous week. His mum, Kerrie Mulcaire, had shared photographs of her smiling, blonde-haired son on his first day, writing: “Peter’s first day of preschool 2026.”

The post has since been flooded with messages from friends and loved ones mourning the little boy.

“Rest in peace little angel,” one person wrote.

Another said: “I’m so sorry for your loss, rest in peace beautiful boy.”

A family friend added: “Rest in peace beautiful angel, a lovely baby gone to heaven too soon.”

Peter’s aunt, Teresa Harty, described her nephew as a much-loved little boy who meant everything to his family.

“He was just a special blonde boy who had skin like butter,” she said.

“He meant the world to us all, his uncles and aunts. He was just a loveable boy, he was too good for this bad world.”

Teresa said Peter was especially cherished by his mum, who called him her “Golden boy”.

“He was his mother’s life, she thought the moon and stars of him,” she said.

“And his daddy was his best friend and his older brother Jim, they were three best friends.”

Jessie Hehir, a cousin of Peter’s mother Kerrie, also expressed her devastation following the tragedy.

“Heartbreaking thinking of my cousin and uncle Peter’s family on the loss of their little boy. Rest in peace baby Peter,” she said.

Another family friend shared a moving tribute online, describing Peter as an innocent little baby and expressing sorrow for his parents and extended family.

“Never been sadder, an innocent little baby. God rest his little soul,” the post read.

“This world can be cruel at times. It’s so heartbreaking thinking of my husband’s niece Kerrie and her husband Jim and extended families on the loss of their beautiful little baby.”

Peter’s death has left the Rathkeale community in deep shock.

A post-mortem examination has been carried out as Gardaí continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the collision.

According to Gardaí, the jeep involved in the crash “did not remain at the scene”.

A man in his 30s was later arrested at another location on suspicion of driving under the influence of an intoxicant.

He was detained for the purpose of providing a blood or urine sample and was subsequently released pending analysis of the sample.

Fr Eamonn Fitzgibbon of St Mary’s Parish in Rathkeale described Peter’s death as a “terrible shock” for the local community.

Speaking to RTÉ, he said the town had experienced significant sadness over the years but had repeatedly shown its ability to come together during difficult times.

“This town is a town that has experienced a lot of sadness down the years,” he said.

“It’s a community that rallies, that comes together, supports each other and I’m very confident that they’ll do that in the days, the weeks, and the months ahead.”

But he acknowledged the scale of the grief following the toddler’s death.

“But it’s a terrible time. It’s literally beyond words the grief that is here today,” he said.

For Peter’s family, the tragedy has come just days after they celebrated a milestone that should have been filled with happiness — his first days at preschool.

Instead, a little boy remembered by his loved ones as a beautiful, loving “Golden boy” has been taken from them far too soon.