The death of three brothers in a house fire in Moneymore, Drogheda, Co Louth, is a “tragedy beyond comprehension” Bishop Gerard Clifford told mourners at their funeral mass today.
Martin McDonagh (21) and his brothers Tony (16) and James (8) lost their lives in the fire last week.
Extending his sympathies to the family this afternoon in Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Bishop Clifford said: “A sense of enormous loss is evident throughout the local community and among your extended family members and friends.
“No father or mother ever expects to see a son or daughter die as young people but to lose three sons in this way is a tragedy beyond comprehension.”
Co-celebrant Canon James Carroll told mourners the many expressions of sympathy received from around the country “have given the local community a sense of comfort and strength”.
He asked people to keep the McDonagh family in their prayers and “to remember the school friends of the boys who are naturally very upset at this difficult time”.
Parish priest Fr John McAlinden said their deaths bring home just how fleeting life is and told the boys' parents not to blame themselves.
“No doubt there will be moments when you will apportion the blame on yourself, if only you had done this or if only you had done that,” said Fr McAlinden. “The list of if onlys are endless. And the if onlys are hard to erase from your minds at this time.
“But it is important to be reassured and to know that to apportion any blame to yourselves is totally unjustified. What happened last Monday morning was beyond your human control and there was nothing you could do to stop it.”
President Mary McAleese, who wrote a letter to Mr and Mrs McDonagh, was represented by Col Declan Carberry and sat next to aide-de-camp to the Taoiseach, Cmdt Michael Tracey.
Hundreds of mourners attended the Mass in Our Lady of Lourdes Church. The brothers were later buried in St Peter’s cemetery, just yards from the entrance to Moneymore. Tony and Martin were buried in identical caskets and James in a white coffin.
Gardaí spent hours sifting through the charred remains of the mid-terraced house and examining it for clues as to what caused the blaze. Last night they confirmed it appeared to have started in a sofa in the front room and are satisfied it was a tragic accident.
Hundreds of people have also signed the book of condolences opened in the offices of Drogheda Borough Council.