A close friend of tragic Josh Dunne has revealed that she desperately tried to save the 16-year-old's life.
Josh's friend Paris Thompson says she called an ambulance and the young footballer "died in my arms."
Brave Paris gave the young talented footballer CPR and mouth-to-mouth on the night he was stabbed.
And she recalled how she thought he was “coming back” as the boy took one big breath but he sadly lost his battle.
Josh, from Ballymun, Dublin was fatally injured in a stabbing incident in East Wall on Dublin city’s northside on January 26, 2021.
For his first anniversary of his passing last month, Paris created a memorial at the scene of his death, with a plaque and a mural of the youngster.
And speaking from there this week, she recalled how she did everything she could to help Josh in his final moments.
Paris, now aged 17 but 16 at the time, told the Irish Mirror: “The ambulance took a couple of minutes but it felt like hours. I just did what I could.
“Everyone was just crying but I hadn’t even got tears like, I was in shock.
“My body was shaking, it was my way of reacting.
“Everyone was just running around, going crazy obviously, so I knew someone had to take responsibility that night.
“I had to do what I could so I was on the phone and the woman was kind of directing me through what to do until the ambulance came.
“He took one big breath; I thought he was coming back to us then because me and one of the boys were both doing CPR, mouth-to-mouth.”
She added: “He died in my arms. I think of it every day. It constantly plays over in my head.”
Paris and the group of friends who were with Josh that night were in shock but knew how serious it was when emergency services arrived.
The East Wall native said: “But even still, I still couldn’t believe it. There was something in my head telling me it’s not true. I couldn’t believe he was gone.
“It took months for me to realise. Still, some days I believe I still just haven’t seen him.
“I just don’t believe he’s actually gone because he was so young and innocent.”
Josh had a bright football future playing for Bohemians and St Kevin’s football clubs while he also had a trial with Dundee United.
But outside of the sport, Paris remembers Josh - who she got to know Josh from mutual friends - as “the funniest person ever.”
On the day Josh died, she had done an Instagram fashion challenge and she remembers Josh slagging her.
She said: “We just always had a laugh with you.
“That day my hair was all curly so he was saying I was trying to have an afro like him.
“He had the biggest heart ever out of everybody. He was really genuinely one of the best people.”
Paris created the memorial for Josh at the scene of his death on East Road in East Wall and paid for it herself.
She, Josh’s mam Diane and many of his friends found it tough to return there since the incident.
But now she goes there every day to remember him.
Paris said: “It was just such a dull road and it was just miserable. I never liked to walk up here after Josh died.
“But it’s where it happened and it was the last place we all spoke to him and heard from him and had our fun with him.
“So I just decided during the summer that I wanted to make something nice but I didn’t have it in me to do it yet. I just wasn’t strong enough.
“So then I knew his anniversary was coming up in January and I decided to go get it all done and now like I come up here everyday and it feels like a better place.
“I feel like he’s around me when I’m here too.”
A 35-year-old man, who a court heard was not known to Josh, is set to go on trial later this year charged with his murder.
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