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“Two big personalities, two big
hearts”
07.05.09
by Linda McGrory
‘ALL Ireland Talent Show’ judge Dana sang a
emotional tribute yesterday at the funeral of a
young Inishowen contestant who cheekily lampooned
one of her songs on the hit RTE show.
The former Eurovision winner travelled to Burt for
the joint funeral of friends, Gary McLaughlin, 21,
and Darren Downey, 19, both from Burt, who died in a
single vehicle crash in the early hours of Bank
Holiday Sunday at Newtown. Burt curate Fr Michael
Porter reminded the congregation of Darren's
much-talked-about appearance on the ‘All Ireland
Talent Show’ where he performed a 'rap version' of
'Lady of Knock' especially for Dana, who wrote the
song.
Poignantly, Dana travelled to yesterday morning's
Requiem Mass at St Aengus Church where she sang her
own version of the song, after Communion, as a
tribute to the fun-loving pals. Many among the large
crowd of mourners were moved to tears by the
gesture.
Meanwhile, Fr Porter told mourners the two families
had asked him to convey a message to their sons’
friends and all young people in the congregation.
"They want me to say, not to do what their sons did
and not to bring home to your parents and families
the pain and grief they are suffering now," said Fr
Porter.
The men, who both played with the local GAA club,
had earlier on the night of their deaths, attended
the 50th birthday party for Gary McLaughlin's
father, Eunan. |
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"Sadly, when everyone
else in the McLaughlin house went to bed and Evelyn
(Gary's mother) thought Gary and Darren were safe
and sound in the house too, the boys, for whatever
reason, decided to go out again and got into a car,"
he said. "The boys did not intend for Eunan's
birthday celebrations to end the way they did |
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and they wouldn’t have
ended as they did, if the boys had stayed at home
after the party,” said Fr Porter. Gardaí continue to
appeal for witnesses to the accident that occurred
some time between 6am and 7.30am on the N13 main
Letterkenny to Derry Road. |
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The joint funeral was
said, by locals in Burt, to be one of the largest
ever seen in the area. Gary's remains were the first
brought into the chapel followed by Darren's.
Members of Burt GAA Club, where the men played both
hurling and football, formed a guard of honour as
did pupils from their former secondary school Scoil
Mhuire, Buncrana.
In his homily, Fr Porter described the young pals as
“likeable, loveable, lively rascals”. “They were
always prepared to give a hundred per cent on or off
the pitch. They enjoyed messing about but had their
serious side too. They raised a lot of money for
charity especially for the hospice and |
cancer care. They were
good boys," he said.
The congregation also included Donegal's chief army
officer Lieutenant Colonel Paddy McDaniel,
accompanied by Commandant Ian Foster, representing
the defence forces of which Darren's father Paul is
a serving private. Mass concelebrants included
Finner Camp Army chaplain, Fr Andy Ward; Burt parish
priest Fr Neil McGoldrick; Newtowncunningham parish
priest Fr Kevin O'Doherty and McLaughlin family
friend, Fr Tom Mullen. As mass came to a close, two
friends, Paddy Mulhern and Joseph Boyle, paid a
special tribute to the deceased on behalf of their
many pals.
“Behind two big personalities, there were two big
hearts. Despite their short lives, they lived life
to the full. Thanks for the special memories. Rest
in peace, lads,” said Mr Boyle.
Chief mourners were Gary's parents Eunan and Evelyn
and his sisters, Claire and Louise and Darren's
parents, Paul and Jackie and his siblings Jonathan,
Rachel, Shannon, Chloe and Emma. The two coffins
carrying the remains of the young men were conveyed
from the church draped in the blue and gold flags of
Burt GAA Club. The friends where subsequently laid
to rest side-by-side in adjoining graves at Burt
Cemetery. |
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