BUSINESSMAN Paul Houston had been looking forward to playing golf in of Portugal where he later met his death, mourners at his funeral in Co Donegal heard yesterday.
Greencastle parish priest Fr Paddy O’Kane said he met Mr Houston, president of Greencastle Golf Club, a short time before he headed off on the ill-fated holiday with his wife and friends.
“It was a holiday he had been looking forward to so much as the wet summer had been getting him down and preventing him from playing golf, his favourite hobby,” said Fr O’Kane.
“A few weeks ago in the shop, he told me how he was looking forward to getting out of his wet gear and playing golf in a T-shirt and shorts.
“As the news of his death spread, people asked could it be true that this wonderful man, so popular and so much loved, had died on holidays with his wife and friends,” said Fr O’Kane.
Mourners at the funeral heard of Mr Houston’s sharp wit, humorous escapades and kindness. Despite the tragedy of his violent death in the Algarve, his funeral Mass at St Mary’s Church, Ballybrack, Greencastle, was very much a celebration of his life, his loves and his legacy.
Fr O’Kane read out to the congregation a reflection prepared by Mr Houston’s elderly mother Mavis, who said her son “touched the hearts of so many people”.
Mr Houston (51), a father of four, died from a brain haemorrhage following a beating in the village of Alvor in the early hours of September 6th.
Portuguese police are following a definite line of inquiry and are seeking two Brazilian men seen in the area shortly before Mr Houston’s body was found in a pool of blood near the local harbour.
He was attacked in a suspected robbery as he made his way back to the hotel where he was staying with his wife Celine and friends Philip and Marian Devlin.
Mr Devlin yesterday joined Mr Houston’s three sons, David, Christopher and Tom, to carry his coffin into the small rural church flanked by a guard of honour formed by the men, women and children of Greencastle Golf Club.
Among the offertory gifts were a pair of his golfing shoes, a putter and a karaoke microphone.
A congregation of about 1,000 people including many members of the northwest business community, golfing fraternity and friends and neighbours, including Nobel Laureate John Hume and his wife Pat, gathered to offer their condolences to the chief mourners, his wife Celine, three sons, daughter Amy, two year old grand-daughter Molly, his mother, two brothers Kevin and Terry and sister Jennifer.