SAD FAREWELL TO MOTHER AND DAUGHTER
Sad farewell to mother. and daughter
By Steven McCaffery
Mourners weep as pair are buried
WEEPING mourners clasped simple white prayer sheets.
On the front the Virgin Mary hugged her child to her breast.
The image mirrored a mother and daughter who would never hug again.
Avril Monaghan (30) and her 18-month-old daughter Maura were laid to rest at the isolated St Macartan's Church in the townland of Aughadarragh, near Augher, Co Tyrone yesterday.
They had visited it just five days ago to attend Mass for the Feast of the Assumption - later they went shopping in Omagh.
In the aftermath of the deadly bomb blast Avril, who was pregnant with twins, her daughter and her mother, Mary Grimes (65), were found dead along with six others in SD Kells shop - close to the seat of the explosion.
With the twins' birth just a month away, friends yesterday said Avril and her husband had hoped to soon be celebrating two christenings in the church.
"There are two coffins today, but four funerals." said family friend, Fr Gerard McAleer. Avril's husband Michael, with the couple's young children, Aoibheann, Eilisha and Patrick wept as he led the cortege from the family home.
Accompanied by nearly 50 mourners they marched slowly behind the two caskets for a short distance, a small white coffin carrying baby Maura to her final resting place.
They then drove slowly along a tree-lined lane to the church known locally as the Fort chapel. The small stone building could not hold the
hundreds that arrived for Requiem Mass. Fr James Grimes - Avril's uncle - told mourners the Omagh bomb had shattered families throughout the country. "The reason for it we cannot explain," he said. "I read somewhere recently that we live in a world of disposable things -cups and saucers, plates and knives and forks... but there are those in our society who seem to have come to the conviction that the very life God has given us all is also disposable.
"There are those who have no regard for the sanctity, the sacredness, the holiness of human life. And those people are responsible for us being here today and for the grief and the sorrow and the heartbreak that they have caused to hundreds," he said.
"God did not make human life disposable... life is a gift, a very special gift, one that we all cherish, one that we all love."
He described Mrs Monaghan as a woman of strong faith shared with wonderful parents, family, husband and little children.
"That faith was strong and that faith went about often slapping about in her bare feet, looking after the children, cooking and making tea and consoling and comforting like any human person, loving the life that God gave her for others. Giving, giving all the time and never asking. I never heard a complaint from her."
Parish priest Fr Lawrence Dawson told mourners of the cherished memories of Avril and Maura that the Monaghan family are left with.
"Memories of a woman surrounded by her children, a wedding day a short seven or eight years ago, a long cupboard with toys.
"Great grandfathers and grandmother, a grandfather who could say 'I would rather have been in Avril's place than been the driver of the car'."
The Bishop of Clogher, the Most Rev Joseph Duffy, presided over the Mass and said: "It occurs to me that we are bereaved as a nation, as a country north and south, Protestant and Catholic."
Later people flooded into the graveyard openly sobbing - mothers clutching their children close to them.
Flowers lined the grave, as below a greying sky family and friends said a final goodbye.
The Monaghan family solicitor Kevin Murnaghan almost broke down as he read a statement after the service.
"She (Avril) was looking forward to bringing up her family in a peaceful society, following the Good Friday agreement and the recent referendum", he said.
"Maura was just a beautiful curly-haired angel who was loved by everyone."
They said no party or section of the community should "seek to take advantage of this tragedy".
And they thanked Sharon Robinson, the shop assistant who was the last to see the victims alive, bystanders who gave what help they could, emergency services, army and police, neighbours and well-wishers near and far.
Avril's family, including her nine brothers and one sister, are facing the further anguish today with the funeral of their mother, Mary Grimes in Beragh.
By Steven McCaffery
Mourners weep as pair are buried
WEEPING mourners clasped simple white prayer sheets.
On the front the Virgin Mary hugged her child to her breast.
The image mirrored a mother and daughter who would never hug again.
Avril Monaghan (30) and her 18-month-old daughter Maura were laid to rest at the isolated St Macartan's Church in the townland of Aughadarragh, near Augher, Co Tyrone yesterday.
They had visited it just five days ago to attend Mass for the Feast of the Assumption - later they went shopping in Omagh.
In the aftermath of the deadly bomb blast Avril, who was pregnant with twins, her daughter and her mother, Mary Grimes (65), were found dead along with six others in SD Kells shop - close to the seat of the explosion.
With the twins' birth just a month away, friends yesterday said Avril and her husband had hoped to soon be celebrating two christenings in the church.
"There are two coffins today, but four funerals." said family friend, Fr Gerard McAleer. Avril's husband Michael, with the couple's young children, Aoibheann, Eilisha and Patrick wept as he led the cortege from the family home.
Accompanied by nearly 50 mourners they marched slowly behind the two caskets for a short distance, a small white coffin carrying baby Maura to her final resting place.
They then drove slowly along a tree-lined lane to the church known locally as the Fort chapel. The small stone building could not hold the
hundreds that arrived for Requiem Mass. Fr James Grimes - Avril's uncle - told mourners the Omagh bomb had shattered families throughout the country. "The reason for it we cannot explain," he said. "I read somewhere recently that we live in a world of disposable things -cups and saucers, plates and knives and forks... but there are those in our society who seem to have come to the conviction that the very life God has given us all is also disposable.
"There are those who have no regard for the sanctity, the sacredness, the holiness of human life. And those people are responsible for us being here today and for the grief and the sorrow and the heartbreak that they have caused to hundreds," he said.
"God did not make human life disposable... life is a gift, a very special gift, one that we all cherish, one that we all love."
He described Mrs Monaghan as a woman of strong faith shared with wonderful parents, family, husband and little children.
"That faith was strong and that faith went about often slapping about in her bare feet, looking after the children, cooking and making tea and consoling and comforting like any human person, loving the life that God gave her for others. Giving, giving all the time and never asking. I never heard a complaint from her."
Parish priest Fr Lawrence Dawson told mourners of the cherished memories of Avril and Maura that the Monaghan family are left with.
"Memories of a woman surrounded by her children, a wedding day a short seven or eight years ago, a long cupboard with toys.
"Great grandfathers and grandmother, a grandfather who could say 'I would rather have been in Avril's place than been the driver of the car'."
The Bishop of Clogher, the Most Rev Joseph Duffy, presided over the Mass and said: "It occurs to me that we are bereaved as a nation, as a country north and south, Protestant and Catholic."
Later people flooded into the graveyard openly sobbing - mothers clutching their children close to them.
Flowers lined the grave, as below a greying sky family and friends said a final goodbye.
The Monaghan family solicitor Kevin Murnaghan almost broke down as he read a statement after the service.
"She (Avril) was looking forward to bringing up her family in a peaceful society, following the Good Friday agreement and the recent referendum", he said.
"Maura was just a beautiful curly-haired angel who was loved by everyone."
They said no party or section of the community should "seek to take advantage of this tragedy".
And they thanked Sharon Robinson, the shop assistant who was the last to see the victims alive, bystanders who gave what help they could, emergency services, army and police, neighbours and well-wishers near and far.
Avril's family, including her nine brothers and one sister, are facing the further anguish today with the funeral of their mother, Mary Grimes in Beragh.
Further Information
Publisher: THE IRISH NEWS
Ref: IN/0055
Published Date: 19-Aug-98
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