A father-of-four who died in a road traffic crash in Co Carlow on his way to a charity motorbike rally gave his wife “the greatest gift of all – children,” his requiem mass heard on Sunday.Darrell Nolan, who died six days before his 45th birthday, was originally from Tullow but was living in Tinahely, Co Wicklow. He was involved in a crash with a car on the R448 at Ballyknockan, Leighlinbridge, at around 9.30am on Sunday, August 2nd.He was brought by air ambulance to the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Dublin, where he was subsequently pronounced deceased.A well-known motorcycle enthusiast and member of the Hooligans MCC, Darrell Nolan was due to take part in the club’s charity motorcycle run with the Kilkenny Bikers in aid of the Irish Society for Autism later that morning, when the incident occurred.He is survived by his wife, Sarah, and four children, Ashlee, Daragh, Sorcha and Miss Evie.The motorcycle group Hooligans MCC provided a guard of honour as his oak coffin was brought into St Mary’s Parish Church, Ballyconnell, Co Carlow.His four children brought symbols to the altar that represented his “beautiful, full, loving life,” Clonmore parish priest Fr John O’Brien told mourners.A bottle of Monster drink, which kept him awake while he was working as a truck driver, his motorbike helmet and a Kilkenny bikers T-shirt were brought to the altar.In her eulogy, his wife said: “To many he was ‘Mad Dog’, to me he was simply ‘Baby’. He was only 45 years old yesterday [Saturday] and none of us were ready to say goodbye. If you knew Darrell, you knew he was one of a kind. He spoke his mind, stood his ground and never pretended to anyone, only himself. He had a tough exterior that many people saw first, but those of us lucky enough to know the real man behind the nickname knew something very different.“Beneath that hard shell was the softest heart. He loved fiercely, cared deeply and would do absolutely anything for the people he loved.” She said that her husband was an incredible father who “cherished his four children beyond words”. “His girls were his princesses, and his only boy was his pride and joy. Every decision he made, every hour he worked, every sacrifice he made was for them; they were his whole world,” she said.“Through everything, our love never faded. We were like two teenagers in love. We couldn’t walk past each other without a kiss, a cuddle or a touch. We were each other’s safe place. Best friends, biggest supporter and the greatest love. Darrell adored me, and I adored him, and I don’t think either of us doubted that for a single moment.”She told how her husband loved his bikes, how they gave him a sense of freedom, but as much as he loved being on two wheels, nothing compared to the love he had for his family. “One of the things I admired most about Darrell was his generosity. If you needed him, he was there, no questions asked. He would give his time, his energy and the shirt off his back to help someone he cared about. Today our hearts are shattered; the space he leaves behind feels impossible to fill. “But even though his life was far too short, what an incredible legacy he leaves behind. He leaves behind four children who will forever carry pieces of him.”The father-of four was laid to rest immediately afterwards in Kilquiggin Cemetery.