Man who stabbed himself brought something ‘powerful and great’ to family, funeral hears

A PRIEST yesterday told the funeral of a 26-year-old who stabbed a garda before killing himself in the north Cork town of Fermoy that the officer and his wife had already made contact with the young man’s family to offer their condolences.

Trevor Clancy stabbed Sergeant John Liston in the abdomen last Sunday as he and another officer tried to get the young man to hand over two knives he was carrying.

Tragically just minutes later, despite pleas from his parents, Eamonn and Bernadette, who rushed to the scene 200 yards from their pub, Mr Clancy forced the two knives into himself.

The young man died but the officer underwent emergency surgery and is expected to make a full recovery.

At Mr Clancy’s funeral in a packed St Patrick’s Church in the town yesterday, Father Eamonn Barry, a family friend of the Clancys and the chaplain at St Coleman’s College where Trevor had been schooled, told how the Listons had made contact with the Clancy family.

“Eamonn and Bernadette (Trevor’s parents) really appreciated Ann Liston getting in touch with them to tell them she was thinking of them and so was John and they said this morning the first thing he wanted to do when he was able was to convey that message,” he said.

Fr Barry told mourners, who included senior Fermoy gardaí as well as local politicians, that it was a day of intense sadness for Bernadette and Eamonn and their family.

“It is an extraordinarily difficult day, but also a day when the goodness that is in each of us is being expressed and has been expressed over the last few days. It is a day also when some may be looking for answers but we have to admit we don’t have them. We do have people walking together in huge numbers praying for Trevor, remembering him and hoping and praying he has the peace he longed for,” he said.

In a moving homily, Fr Barry spoke of the great love which existed between the Clancys and their three children, as well of the qualities of the young man who had died.

“Trevor has brought something deep, powerful and great to a mother and father, brother and sister and none of us can ever understand how that greatness was expressed in the past few years,” he said.

He told of Trevor’s love of rowing, boxing and playing cards, his love of guitar playing and his quiet and easy going nature.

Fr Barry also told of how in the last few months, the young man had spent some time in Lourdes searching for peace.

During the ceremony, Eamonn Clancy composed himself before bravely giving one of the readings just a few yards from where his sons coffin lay, a photograph of the young man on its lid.

During the Prayers of the Faithful one of those offered was for Sergeant Liston.

After the ceremony, Mr Clancy’s coffin was carried from the church draped in a green and white flag.

It was brought to Kilcrumper where he was laid to rest.