‘Stuart’s enthusiasm for life knew no bounds’
In the company of his parents, Una and Brian, his brothers, Keith, Barry and John, and a large extended family, hundreds gathered at St Patrick’s parish church in Fermoy to celebrate an extraordinary life as well as mourn the passing of one of the most inspirational figures of his generation.
The large congregation included not only a host of young friends but also representatives of the financial and sports worlds — among them rugby greats Mike Gibson, Keith Woods, Mick Galway as well as members of the Munster rugby team.
The church was three quarters full over an hour before yesterday’s noon requiem Mass for the young man whose spirit and courage transcended a catastrophic spinal injury he suffered while playing rugby with his club Hammersmith and Fulham RFC in London in April 2008. He died last Friday at St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, London, after succumbing to respiratory problems the night before.
With half an hour to go, St Patrick’s had exhausted its capacity to hold another soul, save for those pews reserved for the Mangan family. Yet still they came — national and local dignitaries, townspeople, rugby lads and glamorous girls who stood at the back of the church or outside to pay tribute to an endearing and charismatic young man.
In an erudite and heartfelt tribute, the chief celebrant, Fr Eugene Baker, spoke of Stuart’s extraordinary courage and resilience and how, in the 16 months since his accident, he had become an inspirational figure for thousands of people.
“The 489 days since the accident and Stuart’s death have been enlightening for us all. The ripple effect of his courage has travelled near and far. His heroic recovery and courageous adaptability have inspired us all,” said Fr Baker.
He also spoke of how Stuart had come to epitomise the sentiments of the gospel hymn, Be Not Afraid. “Imagine if your worst nightmare became your daily horror — to be told your body was no longer working. That was the reality of a C2 spinal injury for Stuart.”
Yet, said Fr Baker, the young man rose above his difficulties with an indomitable spirit and good humour. “All of us who came into his presence have been graced by what Stuart Mangan has achieved,” he told the congregation. “He showed the light of hope even in the darkest of situations.”
Stuart’s life and legacy were represented in the offertory gifts, which included a rugby ball carried by Mike Gibson to show his love for the game, and a riding hat and hunting horn symbolising the passion for horse riding he shared with his father. A bottle of champagne represented his zest for life and also presented were a golf club, travel book and a bunch of wild fuchsia symbolising his love of travel and nature, as well as a wrist band and a CD of Munster rugby supporters’ songs, to represent the hard work and generosity of those who worked to raise funds for the Stuart Mangan Trust.
Exhibiting, perhaps, just precisely where Stuart got his moral courage from, his parents, Una and Brian, both addressed the congregation from the altar. His mother recited the last prayer she had read to her son while Brian spoke of Stuart’s spirit and energy, his days as a youngster riding his pony on the hill of Corrin near his home in north Cork and how that spirit never wavered even after his devastating injury.
“His enthusiasm for life knew no bounds,” said Brian Mangan. “On the day of the accident he had done half a dozen other things in the morning before going off to play the match. Even after it, there was no stopping him.
“He loved Ireland’s Grand Slam victory and he thoroughly enjoyed the Lions’ tour and he wouldn’t hear of watching them in the house but had to go out, to somewhere with a big screen and where there would be the whole rugby community around him.”
He said Stuart died peacefully after a frantic week that included attending the races at Goodwood, a charity cricket match and being interviewed for a BBC documentary.
Mr Mangan thanked all those who helped his family since the accident, in particular the people of Fermoy who had been stalwart in their support. He also paid tribute to the medical staff at Stanmore Hospital in London, which specialises in spinal injuries and where staff from all corners of the world were involved in Stuart’s care.
“We came to realise,” he said, “that we were all one big family. And all you’ve got to do to join is to want to be a part of it.”
He also spoke of his son’s innate generosity and described how, as a youngster, he once traded in a cut-glass trophy he won at golf to buy his father a watch. “But perhaps the greatest gift he gave was the gift of life. He made an express wish that if he slipped away that he would like to see as much of him as possible go towards helping others. Already his liver donation has saved one person’s life and two people have received his kidneys. One of them is now up and walking around.”
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