A GOOD LIFE ENDED BY MAYHEM
A good life ended by mayhem
By Tony Bailie
in Killyclogher
ONE word summed up the life of Brian McCrory, a priest told mourners yesterday: "good".
Mr McCrory's wife Bernadette and daughter Marie clung to each other as his sons Colin and Brian helped carry the coffin into St Mary's chapel at Killyclogher, outside Omagh, for Requiem Mass.
Mr McCrory was the second eldest of ten children and his extended family swelled the numbers inside and outside the chapel.
Over three hundred people crowded into St Mary's, and twice as many again stood outside in drizzle, to pay their last respects to the 45-year old father of three who died in Saturday's Omagh bomb.
Many of those outside the chapel had waited patiently in the rain, for nearly an hour, for the funeral cortege to arrive, and the service was relayed to them over loudspeakers.
Towards the back of the mourners, sheltered against the rain by a brolly, Sinn Fein MP for Mid Ulster Martin McGuinness stood with cross-party representatives from Omagh Council.
Father Eugene Hassen told mourners he had known the McCrory family for over 18 years and they were respected throughout the community for being "honest-to-God, hard-working people."
Father Hassen prayed for all those who died in Saturday's bomb attack, reading out each of the victim's names.
He said: "The message of the 15th of August bomb in Omagh is that never again must it happen in our land.
"If there is anyone in our midst who still harbours violent deeds in their hearts, they must listen and hear this message - never again."
Father Hassen said he had spoken at length to Mr McCrory's wife Bernadette since her husband's death.
"She said to me she would be willing to carry the cross of her loss for the rest of her life if Brian's death was the last such one."
The mourners were joined by the Bishop of Derry Seamus Hegarty who told Mr McCrory's family that the presence of so many people at the funeral was a sign that people cared about them.
"You are the people who are at the centre of our attention at this time," he said.
The bishop said that, as well as the physical scars, the bombing would leave deep emotional scars which would take time to come to the surface, and even longer to heal.
"Omagh did not deserve what happened; it deserved a lot better."
Bishop Hegarty said that from the evil of the bombing had come the good of the aftermath, when the community, emergency and other support services had pulled together.
"The Lord was in the midst of this crisis," he said.
"If the level of cooperation and Christianity can be continued indefinitely, this place in Northern Ireland would be a great place to live in."
By Tony Bailie
in Killyclogher
ONE word summed up the life of Brian McCrory, a priest told mourners yesterday: "good".
Mr McCrory's wife Bernadette and daughter Marie clung to each other as his sons Colin and Brian helped carry the coffin into St Mary's chapel at Killyclogher, outside Omagh, for Requiem Mass.
Mr McCrory was the second eldest of ten children and his extended family swelled the numbers inside and outside the chapel.
Over three hundred people crowded into St Mary's, and twice as many again stood outside in drizzle, to pay their last respects to the 45-year old father of three who died in Saturday's Omagh bomb.
Many of those outside the chapel had waited patiently in the rain, for nearly an hour, for the funeral cortege to arrive, and the service was relayed to them over loudspeakers.
Towards the back of the mourners, sheltered against the rain by a brolly, Sinn Fein MP for Mid Ulster Martin McGuinness stood with cross-party representatives from Omagh Council.
Father Eugene Hassen told mourners he had known the McCrory family for over 18 years and they were respected throughout the community for being "honest-to-God, hard-working people."
Father Hassen prayed for all those who died in Saturday's bomb attack, reading out each of the victim's names.
He said: "The message of the 15th of August bomb in Omagh is that never again must it happen in our land.
"If there is anyone in our midst who still harbours violent deeds in their hearts, they must listen and hear this message - never again."
Father Hassen said he had spoken at length to Mr McCrory's wife Bernadette since her husband's death.
"She said to me she would be willing to carry the cross of her loss for the rest of her life if Brian's death was the last such one."
The mourners were joined by the Bishop of Derry Seamus Hegarty who told Mr McCrory's family that the presence of so many people at the funeral was a sign that people cared about them.
"You are the people who are at the centre of our attention at this time," he said.
The bishop said that, as well as the physical scars, the bombing would leave deep emotional scars which would take time to come to the surface, and even longer to heal.
"Omagh did not deserve what happened; it deserved a lot better."
Bishop Hegarty said that from the evil of the bombing had come the good of the aftermath, when the community, emergency and other support services had pulled together.
"The Lord was in the midst of this crisis," he said.
"If the level of cooperation and Christianity can be continued indefinitely, this place in Northern Ireland would be a great place to live in."
Further Information
Publisher: THE IRISH NEWS
Ref: IN/0140
Published Date: 21-Aug-98
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