Large attendance at funeral of Sligo drowning victims

Hundreds of mourners attended the funeral yesterday of the two Co Sligo brothers who lost their lives in a drowning tragedy on Christmas Eve.

The packed congregation at a concelebrated Requiem Mass at St Anne's Church heard Canon Kevin Earley, the president of Summerhill College, Sligo, describe Sean (23) and Cronan (19) McCarrick as two caring young men who would be remembered by the college as "very loyal friends" who had brought a lot of joy to their community.

They had left "footprints in the sands of time" which we could learn from in life, which they lived to the full, and also in death, Canon Earley said.

The brothers, from Joe McDonnell Drive, Cranmore, drowned when one of them went for a midnight swim in the swollen Garavogue River and his brother jumped in to try to save him.

The chief mourners at the funeral in Sligo Cemetery were the boys' parents, Guida and Conor, and their sister, Jenny. The funeral Mass was celebrated by the parish priest, Father Dominic Gillooly, who had received the remains at St Anne's the previous evening.

He reminded the many young mourners present that this was their first experience of death, which was why it was so devastating. It was also particularly shocking for them that such a joyous prank could have ended with such appalling consequences.

Father Gillooly told the congregation that he had been telephoned by the President, Mrs McAleese, who had asked him to convey her condolences to the young men's family and friends.

It is believed that Cronan, the younger brother, had decided to go for a swim, as he had taken off his outer clothing before entering the water. When he got into difficulties his brother, Sean, tried to rescue him. Mr Cian Coyle, a friend of the two, also got into difficulties when he tried to assist, but he managed to swim ashore and raise the alarm.

The men entered the water at Hughes Bridge, close to where the Garavogue meets the sea. There are strong currents in the area.

The men's bodies were recovered at about 4 a.m. on Christmas Day after a search involving gardai, the Rosses Point lifeboat and the Marine Rescue Service. An Air Corps helicopter flew from Finner, Co Donegal, to assist in the operation.

"Christmas was changed for everyone by the discovery", Father Gillooly told The Irish Times yesterday. "The whole community is devastated."