Touching farewell to sisters killed in Killorglin fire

THE people of Killorglin, Co Kerry, yesterday bid a touching farewell to two sisters – described by a priest as “gentle souls” – who died in a fire that destroyed their family public house on Monday.

Hundreds of mourners attended the concelebrated Requiem Mass for Rhetta O’Shea McSwiney, 69, and Ann O’Shea, 64, in St James’s Church, Killorglin.

Their nephew, Billy O’Shea, an All-Ireland winning Kerry footballer in 1997, paid a moving tribute to his aunts before the Mass began.

“They led simple, uncomplicated lives, with no interest in anything extravagant. They were just two nice, very decent people,” he told the congregation.

“They didn’t have kids, but they had eight nieces and nephews whom they regarded as their own.”

Mr O’Shea, who regularly helped them in the Langford Street pub, thanked their neighbours for the “wonderful love and support” they had shown the family.

Symbols of the sisters’ lives on the altar included a nurse’s watch used by Ann during her nursing career and a quiz book to mark Rhetta’s love of quizzes and sport, especially Kerry football.

The O’Shea family and the old-style pub they had run for generations were described as institutions and part and parcel of life in Killorglin.

In a homily, Fr Liam O’Brien said there was a deep sense of shock at the suddenness of the sisters’ deaths, and he spoke of his admiration for the emergency services which had done everything possible to save them.

The sisters are survived by their brother, Dr Patrick O’Shea, sister-in-law, Kathleen, and eight nieces and nephews.

Local people provided a guard-of-honour as two wreath-laden hearses set off for Dromavalla cemetery, outside Killorglin, where the sisters were laid to rest.

Meanwhile, Gardaí investigating the fire are still awaiting the results of forensic tests.