ONE OF the two Polish men stabbed to death with a screwdriver in Drimnagh, Dublin, last month has been laid to rest in his native Poland.
Marius Szwajkos (27), who died from his injuries two days after the attack on February 23rd, was flown home on Saturday. His local church in Szczucin, about 120km from Krakow, was overflowing for his funeral Mass at 2pm local time yesterday.
His parents, sister and brothers were the chief mourners. The Mass was concelebrated by several priests, including Drimnagh parish priest Fr Martin Cosgrove.
Also present were the Irish ambassador to Poland, Declan O'Donovan, the chairman of Drimnagh parish council Peter Burke, and Alan Kennedy, general manager of the Axa crash repair centre on the Long Mile Road, Dublin, where the victims worked.
The family of Pawel Kalite (29), the second Polish man killed in the Drimnagh attack, was also present. Mr Kalite was cremated on Friday after a short ceremony at Mount Argus cemetery in Dublin. His ashes were taken back to Poland with Mr Szwajkos's body.
Fr Cosgrove said afterwards that the families of the dead men had expressed a deep sense of gratitude for the support they received from the Irish community.
"They are heartbroken, your heart would go out to them," he said. "The reason we were there was to express our profound sympathy to these families and a very strong sense of solidarity with them and also the wider Polish community."
After Mr Szwajkos was interred in the family vault in his local cemetery, the Irish contingent handed over several books of condolences, including one signed at a memorial service in Drimnagh by President Mary McAleese.