Hundreds attend funeral of man found dead in flat

HUNDREDS of mourners yesterday attended the funeral of retired Eircom worker Martin Purcell, who was found dead in his flat in Wickham St in Limerick.

The mourners were led by his son Barry and daughter Amy, who travelled from England.

Fr Eamon Purcell, who is no relation, told a packed congregation at St Brigid’s Church the family were struggling to come to terms with Martin’s death.

Fr Purcell said: “Death of any of us is an inescapable reality, but the time of death and the circumstances cannot be predicted.”

Fr Purcell said tragedy will always stun us because it is so unexpected and this was particularly so for Martin’s family and the community because they were greatly aware of the tragic circumstances of Martin’s death.

He said the Purcell family are devastated and have many questions, but so few answers.

He described Martin Purcell as a unique individual.

Fr Purcell said that Martin loved music and sport and had much more to give in life but all those expectations for the future had been cruelly cut short.

Businessman Steve Collins, whose son Roy died in 2009, was among those who attended the funeral.

He said: “I knew Martin very well. He was a customer of mine for years and he was a popular member of the community.”

Mr Purcell had been living in a flat in Wickham St for over a year and was separated from his wife for some years.

He originally came from the Fair Green area of the city and had lived at Norwood Park.

When England was hit by a hurricane in 1987 he was one of the many Eircom technical workers who went there to help carry out the huge repair work.