The truth about the death in a Prague park of Kilkenny man Michael O'Leary will come out, his uncle has insisted. Father William Delaney told mourners at his nephew's funeral Mass in the Church of the Assumption, Callan, that a postmortem on the 23-year-old had been carried out when his remains were returned from the Czech Republic on Thursday night.
He expressed the hope that the examination by the State pathologist, Dr John Harbison, would explain what happened on the night of Saturday, April 21st. It has been suggested that Mr O'Leary's drink was spiked in a bar and that he was later robbed of his passport and cash while visiting the city with a Macra na Feirme group.
Father Delaney asked people not to condemn or judge until the full facts regarding Mr O'Leary's death were known. He criticised the coverage of the incident in the media and said he had expected more from the Irish media. "Obviously a lot has changed," the Glasgow based priest said.
He said he had been in daily contact with Michael when the dead man studied at Glasgow University. "I never saw him take alcohol or drugs," Father Delaney said. He spoke glowingly of his nephew and said his death had not just devastated everyone who knew him but had pulverised them. He recalled the funeral Mass for Michael's brother, Tadhg (Ted), who died 9-1/2 years ago, also aged 23.
Mr O'Leary's best friend, Mr Shane O'Keeffe of Callan, brought the dead man's Macra bag and mobile phone to the altar. A member of the John Lockes Hurling Club brought up a hurley and a member of Callan United soccer club brought a football.
The dead man is survived by his parents, Denis and Brigid, and by his three sisters, Sheila, Lisa and Olive.