The funeral of 16-year-old 'super fit' teenager Oisin McGuinness will be held at 1pm today in his home city of Newry.

The young sportsman who collapsed while playing at a soccer match on Saturday, has prompted fresh calls for the Government to offer heart screening for young people. 

His family have asked for donations to be made to SADS, the Sudden Adult Death Syndrome charity. 

Department of Finance and Personnel statistics show that more than 60 young people aged between 14 and 35 years died of cardiac-related conditions between 2005 and 2007. 

Oisin McGuinness was a fifth year pupil at Abbey Grammar CBS and was a talented Gaelic footballer and hurler. 

His death echoes that of other fit young men including 24-year-old Tyrone GAA star Cormac McAnallen, 18-year-old rugby star John McCall and 19-year-old golfer Aaron Lundy. 

Northern Ireland representative for Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) John Lundy last night called for the Department of Health to "rethink" their decision not to offer screening to the young. 

Mr Lundy's son Aaron, 19, also died almost 10 years ago from Sudden Death Syndrome during a football game. 

Since his death his father has lobbied for cardiac screening among the young as Northern Ireland's representative of pioneering heart charity CRY UK. 

To date the charity as already offered screening to more than 2,500 young people in Northern Ireland, of which almost two per cent of those tested have shown to have heart problems. 

CRY promotes cardiac screening for all young people aged between 14 and 35 years of age at its clinics as currently cardiac screening is not offered by the health trusts in the Province. 

In a recent statement the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety described sudden cardiac death as a "very complex issue." 

The statement added: "The NSC has advised that screening should not be offered and that pre-participation screening of athletes for HCM (hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy) or other causes of sudden cardiac death should not be instituted at present." 

Speaking yesterday to the News Letter, local priest Fr Terry Rafferty, who visited the McGuinness family on Sunday evening, said Oisin's parents Joan and John were 'totally heartbroken' and trying to come to terms with their son's death. 

"He goes out to a football match and you just expect him to come home again," he said. 

"This young man was extremely fit.  All his team members were telling me of his high fitness level. 

"Initial reports suggest this was Cardiomyopathy which is a kind of heart muscle disease.  It seems to be something which affects elite athletes, an unexplainable attack on the heart." 

Fr Rafferty said requiem mass will be held at Saint Catherine's Roman Catholic Church at 1pm today. 

He said: "I last saw Oisin last Sunday when he was training for the Newry Shamrocks.  He was super fit." 

Dermot McGovern, the principal of Abbey Grammar where Oisin attended, said everyone was shocked and saddened to hear the news of his death. 

He added that pastoral counselling support had been put in place to assist students.