A GRIEVING son who lost his father in the Inishbofin island double drowning at the weekend told mourners at his funeral that before he died his father would have put up a determined fight to survive.
Richard Feeney, who addressed a large congregation at the funeral Mass for his father Ger, a former GAA All-Star footballer, in the Church of the Holy Rosary, Castlebar, Co Mayo yesterday, said there was some comfort in knowing that when his father left this life he did so in the company of one of his best friends, Donal McEllin.
Mr Feeney and Mr McEllin drowned in the harbour at Inishbofin island, Co Galway, in the early hours of Sunday morning after returning to Mr McEllin’s motor cruiser in a dinghy. Postmortems confirmed that both men died from drowning. Investigations into the incident are continuing.
Richard Feeney said he knew his father, who “lived his life doing good deeds for people” would be thinking of his family in his final moments knowing he would not see them again for a while.
GAA president Christy Cooney was among the mourners. Ger Feeney had played intercounty football with distinction for Mayo in the 1970s and 1980s.
Mr Feeney (56), a married man with four children, was laid to rest in the cemetery at Ballintubber Abbey, about six miles south of Castlebar, his native parish, in the afternoon.
The funeral of his friend, Mr McEllin (64), a pilot and retired businessman, is to take place today.
The chief mourners at Mr Feeney’s funeral were his widow, Kathleen (nee Cadden); sons, Alan, Richard, Dara and daughter Claire.
Among the gifts brought to the altar symbolising his life was his old wing-back (No 7) football jersey.
One of the former ESB man’s brothers, Seán, who is secretary of the Mayo GAA board, said Ger had been a great father not alone to his own children, but also his nephews and nieces.
“Himself and Donal lived life to the full. They lived on the edge and that is the way they died.”
Fr John Murray said the two untimely deaths had been greeted with shock and disbelief in the Castlebar and Ballintubber areas.
Fr Murray described Mr Feeney as a man “blessed with a generous spirit who brought out the best in other people”.
GAA players past and present formed guards of honour and the coffin was draped in the Mayo, Castlebar Mitchels and Ballintubber colours as the remains were brought to their final resting place.