The mother of murdered Limerick teenager Richard "Happy" Kelly, whose body was found over a year after he went missing, said yesterday she would fight for justice for her son.
It was confirmed last week that decomposed remains found in Lough Bridget in Co Clare on November 28th were those of Mr Kelly (17), a father of one who disappeared on April 24th last year.
Garda divers discovered that a rope and concrete block had been used to weigh the body down.
Mr Kelly, who had a number of convictions for stealing cars, was last seen in the Daly's Cross area of Limerick.
Gardaí are satisfied the teenager was murdered. One theory under investigation is that he suffered a violent death at the hands of a Limerick criminal gang after he stole a car belonging to the gang, which contained drugs and firearms.
His mother, Mary Kelly, said yesterday she had been waiting for more than 20 months for her son to be found."I can put him to rest and I finally have a grave to go to. It was a long wait and I didn't expect to get him back the way I got him but I have him now. I can take my child to the grave now," she said.
Ms Kelly said she always knew her son would not have disappeared deliberately and not contacted his family.
While she admitted the 17- year-old was involved in "petty crime", she said he didn't deserve to die a violent death.
"All I want now is justice for my child and for my family, I think we need it and I think more so Richard needs it because what happened to him he didn't deserve because he wouldn't hurt no one.
"He had [ been involved in] petty crime but he was never involved in anything major," she said.
Ms Kelly said she would begin coping with the loss after her son's burial which takes place tomorrow.
He will be buried at Mount Saint Oliver Cemetery following 11am Mass in the Holy Family Church in Southill.