PJ McLAUGHLIN FUNERAL:PJ McLAUGHLIN, one of the eight men who died in the State's worst road tragedy in Inishowen on Sunday, wanted to be famous for something.
“When you think that his face appeared on the front page of probably every newspaper in this country, he was famous, but not for the right reason,” Fr Neil McGoldrick, parish priest of Fahan, reflected yesterday as the 21-year-old’s funeral took place in St Mura’s Church in Fahan.
“Sadly this is the second funeral today in this church, the third today as a result of the accident on Sunday night,” Fr McGoldrick said.
He offered up prayers to PJ’s six friends and 66-year-old Hugh Friel who were also killed in the two-car crash on the road between Buncrana and Clonmany, and for the driver of the first car, Shaun Kelly, who remains in intensive care in Letterkenny hospital.
The small church was again filled with mourners, some of the faces familiar from the earlier funeral of PJ’s good friend Mark McLaughlin.
Hundreds more congregated outside in the shadow of Scalp Hill and listened to the proceedings over speakers.
Members of Illies Celtic Football Club formed a guard of honour in tribute to their teammate, a striker, as his body was brought into the church.
PJ was remembered as someone who “enjoyed life to the full”, loved playing football and was “a little bit of a showman, a fancy dresser, stylish”. He was, Fr McGoldrick said, meticulous in his work in his father’s garage and breaker’s yard.
He was also a kind and thoughtful type who cherished his friends and would do anything for them. “When his friends needed his assistance he would be there 24/7 and he would run the length of Ireland to assist his friends . . . That’s why he had so many friends, that’s why he was so popular,” Fr McGoldrick said.
“Sadly, many of those pals are gone with him as well.”
PJ’s sisters Aoife and Deborah read the first readings while his brothers Charles and Odhran were among those who brought gifts to the altar, including an Illies Celtic football jersey, a framed photograph of a white 91-registration BMW, and a trophy.
Fr McGoldrick described as “heart-rending” the grief that had visited the community in the area since tragedy struck on Sunday.
He offered condolences to the chief mourners, PJ’s parents, Charlie and Kathleen, his younger siblings, Charles, Deborah, Aoife and Odhran, and to his extended family.
“There is a pain that screams at the world and a pain that screams at God, a pain that screams: Where was God on Sunday night?” Fr McGoldrick said.
“Jesus himself on the cross cried out in his own pain, ‘My God, my God, why have you deserted me?’ ” However, he said, “broken-hearted as we are . . . we hand PJ over to the Lord. And as he did with Christ, he will in some way fulfil the life of PJ’s that was not to be fulfilled with us.”