Teenager dies after inhaling gas in field

A TEENAGER has died after inhaling gas in a field in the village where the popular television soap Glenroe was filmed.

A post-mortem examination is being carried out on the body of 13-year-old Dermot Wheeler following his death on Tuesday evening.

Dermot died 75 minutes after being taken to Loughlinstown Hospital following the alarm being raised at 6.30pm.

A friend was with the teenager when he collapsed in the fields beside the parish church in the village.

A gas cylinder was found close by.

The popular youngster had just started secondary school after moving from St Anthony’s National at the start of the term.

He is survived by one brother and his parents.

His parents have lived in the village of Kilcoole, Co Wicklow, for many years.

According to local pub owner and undertaker Willie Doyle, the couple were “really cut up” about their son’s death.

Dermot’s funeral will take place on Friday.

His friend is helping gardaí with their inquiries.

Kilcoole is famous as the village where the hugely popular Glenroe television soap was filmed before it was cut from the RTÉ schedule last year.