Those who mourned for Eddie Treanor filed quietly into St Therese's Church in north Belfast at noon yesterday. There were about 500 people there to show support and solidarity for the Treanor family and his girlfriend.
Mr Treanor was shot by either the UDA or the Loyalist Volunteer Force - or perhaps an amalgamation of both - in retaliation for the INLA killing of Billy Wright. He was murdered while drinking with his girlfriend, Roisin, in the Clifton Tavern on New Year's Eve.
The contrast between Billy Wright's funeral and Eddie Treanor's funeral was striking. Where thousands turned out against a backdrop of a paramilitary display for the Wright funeral, the mourners in north Belfast were the Treanor family, his neighbours, friends and workmates.
Where one could not escape the reality of a dead paramilitary leader in Portadown, in north Belfast yesterday one could not escape the fact of an ordinary man done to death for being a Catholic.
The deadly operations and rivalries involving the LVF, UDA and INLA were far from the minds of the mourners yesterday. They had crowded into the church simply to pay their respects to - as Father Sean Emerson described him - a "decent man". Father Emerson praised the humanity of Mr Treanor. He had time for people, coupled with generosity, a willingness to share and give. He had a great sense of humour.
"It is wrong that Edmund was murdered and it is wrong that his family must suffer in this way, because of the evil acts of others," said Father Emerson.
The Bishop of Down and Connor, Dr Patrick Walsh, spoke of the name Eddie Treanor being added to the "long, sad litany of the names of those murdered in our country". He said that once again "times are dark" but people must not lose heart.
He called on politicians to put away petty rancour and squabbling and talk and work together. "Who can give us hope?"
"An enormous responsibility lies on those whom we have mandated to work for and to reach that accommodation and agreement on which peace can be built and sustained. We appeal to you not to lose hope and to continue to give us renewed hope," he continued.
"You must give us positive signs of renewed vigorous effort. Let there be an end of talking at one another. Let us see you, and it is important we should see you, talking with one another, working together, struggling together, and we do know that it is a struggle.
"We appreciate that, we know that it is not easy, but do not dispirit us with any further petty shows of rancour, bitterness, illtemper. There is so much at stake. Lives are at stake, and every life is precious, every single life is precious," said Bishop Walsh.
