Man found in Dublin park laid to rest

The man who died in St Stephen’s Green on Monday was buried yesterday in his home village in Kerry.

Thomas Kearney, of Ballyhennessy, Lixnaw, was laid to rest days after he was discovered in the Dublin city centre park by a homeless man and some passers-by.

Family and friends were distraught that he had been described in some reports as being homeless. However, the 31-year-old had travelled to the capital last weekend for Sunday’s football league final between Kerry and Dublin.

He was mourned yesterday by his father and mother, his four sisters, his three brothers, family members and friends at a funeral service at St Michael’s Church in Lixnaw, before burial at Kilfeighney Cemetery.

Mr Kearney was in his early 30s and gardaí in the capital have said there was no suggestion of anything suspicious regarding the circumstances of his death.

Mr Kearney had lived at his parents’ home and worked on the family farm.

His death was said to have been totally unexpected.

Pat Doyle, the CEO of the Peter McVerry Trust, confirmed Mr Kearney was not known to the homeless services and he extended his sympathies to the man’s family.

Mr Doyle said that the McVerry Trust was providing counselling to the homeless man who found Mr Kearney last Monday.

Mr Doyle said last year 13 service users of the trust died and seven other service users have been laid to rest so far this year, including a man who had been buried earlier this week.

Mr Doyle said: “He had been a young lad who was in our services and he died of health-related issues, related to a life of putting his body under pressure over a long period.”