Father who drowned with his son was ‘kind-hearted chap’

Mourners at the funeral of Seán Sweeney who drowned along with his son (3) in Dublin on Easter Saturday have heard he was a ‘kind-hearted chap’.

The bodies of both Mr Sweeney (36) and Tyler Joyce were discovered near the Royal Canal on Easter Sunday morning.

Mr Sweeney's funeral took place at Our Lady Help of Christians Church on the Navan Road.

Fr Paul Joyce said everybody present in the church was "shocked and saddened" by the events of Easter Saturday, a day that had started for Mr Sweeney and his son like any other day.

“It ended in tragedy as the lives of Seán and his little son Tyler were so cruelly taken from us,” he said.

He described Mr Sweeney as a “kind-hearted chap who would help anybody out if he could.”

His parents Patrick and Maria spoke of how good he was to other people despite having very little himself. “He very seldom had any money, but when he had, he would happily share it,” Fr Coyle said.

The chief mourners were his parents, his brother Steven, his sister-in-law Hilary and his nephew and niece.

Pamela Joyce, the mother of his son, was also remembered at the mass. Mr Sweeney was buried afterwards at Dardistown Cemetery

The removal and funeral of Tyler Joyce will take place on Friday morning at 10am in the Annunciation Church, Finglas West with the funeral to Glasnevin Cemetery afterwards.

The circumstances behind the tragic death of father and son are still being investigated. It is thought that they drowned when they tried to cross the canal at the ninth lock.