The parents and sister of 18-year-old Loughrea student Patrick Halpin, who died tragically in London last week, tonight paid tribute to him at a Mass in the city.
The Mass was attended by over 100 members of the Irish community living in the city.
Saying that he wanted to offer the congregation gathered in the Sacred Heart church in Kilburn in North London “a glimpse of his talents”, his uncle, John O’Connor said he had had a passion for sport of all types, including volleyball and GAA.
The Mass, organised by members of the Galway Association in London, heard readings from Mr Halpin’s cousins, including verses from the Book of Lamentations.
Another uncle, Michael O’Connor said “the huge support” offered to the family had “helped in no small way”.
“I think, to sum it up, this week has put a new meaning to the phrase ‘there are no strangers here, only friends we have not met’,” he said, in a remark that prompted a round of sustained applause from the congregation.
In particular, he praised friends of the Dublin City University student for publicising his disappearance on social media; the Metropolitan Police, who were represented at tonight’s Mass; newspapers, radio and TV stations and especially neighbours and friends.
In his sermon, the parish priest of the Sacred Heart, Fr Michael O’Connor said the size of the congregation tonight for the Mass illustrated clearly how Mr Halpin’s untimely death had caused “a numbness and the experience of being lost”.
A post-mortem carried out on Tuesday on Mr Halpin’s was deemed inconclusive, pending the results of further tests, but the body has been released to the family for burial in Loughrea on Sunday afternoon after funeral Mass at St Brendan’s Cathedral in Loughrea. ends
Mr Halpin was seen alive leaving a club on Leicester Square to go to a fast food restaurant at about midnight on Wednesday of last week. His body was found almost two days later in an enclosed area above the restaurant.
His funeral Mass will take place at St Brendan’s Cathedral, Loughrea at 2.30pm on Monday. Burial afterwards will be at Kilnadeema cemetery.
