A man who was shot in a bar in Spain last month was remembered as “a big softie” and a “genial and gentle giant” at his funeral in Dublin this morning.
Hundreds of mourners packed St Joseph’s Church in Bonnybrook, north Dublin, for the funeral of father of two, John O'Neill (41) who was shot while on holidays with his family in the resort of Benalmadena.
In his homily, parish priest Fr Frank Duggan said that Mr O’Neill had “tragically left this world an innocent victim of an incident in which he played no part”.
Fr Duggan told mourners that for Mr O’Neill, “his family was his pleasure and his leisure”. He described him as “a mild mannered man, who would never say a bad word against others”.
“John wore his faith not on his knees, but on rolled up sleeves.”
Mourners heard that Mr O’Neill was a keen Arsenal fan and a Dublin supporter whose favourite phrase was “up the Dubs”.
Fr Duggan said that mourners may ask why John was taken so tragically and so quickly but he said “there are no answers”.
The funeral mass was concelebrated by Mr O’Neill’s cousin, Brother John, who travelled from England and gave one of the readings.
There were emotional scenes when Mr O’ Neill’s partner, Maxine, read a poem in which she said: “I have lost my very best friend.”
In her eulogy, a relative of Mr O’Neill said: “No job was too big or too small for you. You loved and respected your parents and your family. You were gentle, kind and protective, mannerly and shy.”
Fr Duggan offered his sympathy to Mr O’Neill’s partner, his children Jake and Jasmine, parents Angela and Hugh, his brother David and his sister Sharon as well as his aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and extended family.
Mr O'Neill's coffin was carried from the church by family and friends to a recording of The Voyage by Christy Moore. He was buried at Fingal cemetery in Balgriffin.
