Thoughts of stricken families turn to each other at tragic time

THE thoughts of two grief-stricken families were with each other yesterday as they buried three young car crash victims and prayed for another passenger injured in the same accident who remains in a serious condition in hospital.

The funerals took place of brother and sister Tom and Mary Frewen, and their friend Paul Geary, who were killed last Monday near Abbeyleix, while returning home from the Oxegen concert.

Wreaths from The Who’s Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey, who had played at the concert, were brought to the requiem masses by a friend of the band, Jack Lyons.

Almost 1,000 people attended the funeral in Mitchelstown of Paul Geary, aged 21, from Marshalstown, and heard curate Fr Michael Fitzgerald describe him as a good son, a good brother, a good friend and a good neighbour.

“We are saddened and grief-stricken that Paul was with us for such a short time. We are gathered here to support his parents, Lil and John, and his only sister, Colette,” Fr Fitzgerald said.

He said the Geary family’s thoughts were with the Frewen family, from the nearby hamlet of Curraghagalla.

He said their thoughts were also with Paddy Breanach, from Lismore, Co Waterford, who was injured in the crash and they were also praying that the lorry driver involved in the accident would be able to cope in its aftermath.

Later in the afternoon, an even larger crowd attended the funerals of Tom and Mary Frewen, which took place in the tiny Church of the Holy Family in Curraghagalla, just 400 yards from the family home.

Fr Robin Morrissey said words were inadequate to express the grief being suffered by the family.

“People are shocked by this cruel human tragedy that is tearing the family and a small community apart in grief,” Fr Morrissey said.

Tom, 22, who had been studying commerce at UCC, and Mary, 19, a CIT business studies student, are survived by their parents John and Lena, older sister, Bríd, and 16-year-old brother, John jnr.