TO mark what would have been his 21st birthday last Thursday, friends of Cameron Blair – who was stabbed to death in Cork city last January – took it in turns to sit at his graveside to remember the young man whose life was so tragically cut short.
His friend James McCarthy from Bandon, also used the occasion to write a moving blog, affectionately titled ‘Cam,’ to give people a sense of the young man from Ballinascarthy, and also highlight the devastating impact of knife crime.
‘I wanted people to read about the type of person he was as opposed to just a name that they read about in the newspaper,’ said James.
He wrote: ‘He truly was a diamond in the rough; a loyal friend, a brother, a leader, a protector, and a shooting star. Cameron entering a room was like throwing fuel to a fire. He created an all-consuming and overwhelming feeling of euphoria, every time.’
He wrote that Cameron ‘brought fun, joy and excitement everywhere he went.’
‘Straightaway I remember his confidence and his caring personality and the fact that he was a true leader. He would always get everyone involved regardless of what was going on.’
James added that a secondary reason for writing the blog was to highlight the impact of knife crime.
‘It’s not just somebody’s life you are taking away, it’s a piece of everybody who knew him too and hopefully people will consider this if they are ever thinking of carrying a knife.’
Cameron was a second year chemical engineering student at CIT and is survived by his mum Kathy, dad Noel and younger brother Alan.
A 18-year-old man is currently serving a life sentence for the murder of Cameron outside a house party on Bandon Road in Cork city on January 16th last.
To read James’s blog see www.jamesmccarhtysblog.wordpress.com
