IT WASN’T supposed to happen “that an eldest son should pass away before his parents,” said Brian and Tess Stynes in a message read at a Mass in Ballyroan Church Co Dublin last night for their son Jim. He received a State funeral in Melbourne Australia earlier today. Both parents are in Australia for the funeral.
Their message, read by Kevin Stynes, brother of Brian, asked “Why did God have to take him so young?” It continued that elsewhere in scripture we are reminded that “what God has given he taketh away.
Jim “believed that with enough effort and dedication almost anything can be achieved. He was also an idealist,” especially when it came to troubled youth.
He was “the first of the family to emigrate to Australia,” with the rest of his siblings following “one by one”.
“He was a father figure to all, a unique figure, a true Irishman” whose greatest role was when he played for Ireland in the compromise rules game against Australia.
He had asked “that his ashes be scattered on the top of the Dublin mountains” where he used to train on visits home. “Despite fame he never lost touch with reality,” they recollected. They thanked everyone for expressions of “the sincere pain and grief at his passing,” in particular the Ballyboden St Enda’s club. Their words were greeted by a standing ovation from a packed church of the Holy Spirit.
Fr Jimmy Murray, parish priest of Knocklyon, recalled in his homily that Jim Stynes had “never become intoxicated by fame and wealth” and that “he never lost touch with his roots.”
He felt that “when confronted with cancer it seemed to give Jim more courage” as shown in a documentary some years ago. “It was a programme somewhat like that about Colm Murray (of RTE) and motor neurone disease” recently, “which inspired so many at home and abroad.” He conclude with lines from Brendan Kennelly’s poem The Good.
“The good are vulnerable/As any bird in flight,/They do not think of safety,Are blind to possible extinction/And when most vulnerable/ Are most themselves.”
Chief mourners at last night’s Mass were Jim Stynes’s uncle Kevin and his aunts Doreen and Joy. Also in attendance was the Australian Ambassador Mr Bruce Davis.
There was a large GAA contingent, including its general secterary Paraic Duffy, Colm O’Rourke, Brian McEniff, former Dublin footballers Ciarán Walsh, and Ger Flaherty who played with Jim Stynes at Ballyboden St Endas. Music was by Finbar Furey, Ruth Cahill and Ann McNulty.
Ambassador Davis described it as “a very moving Mass”.
