Conor laid to rest as probe into hit-and-run continues

CRIES of sorrow were heard during the funeral Mass of fatal hit-and-run victim Conor Hickey in Cabra, Co Dublin yesterday.

The local community braved driving rain and strong winds to turn out in force to commemorate the life of the teenager who died from injuries sustained after he was struck by a vehicle which failed to stop a week ago.

The outpouring of grief in the Church of Christ the King was unrestrained as adults and schoolchildren, including local Sinn Féin TD Mary Lou McDonald, wept openly during the ceremony.

Conor’s classmates and other pupils from Coláiste Mhuire, where he was a second-year student, fought back tears and hugged each other at regular intervals.

Parish priest Fr Pat Carroll described the popular 14-year-old sports fan to the large congregation as “our little angel”.

Among the gifts brought to the altar to mark Conor’s life were a school shirt signed by other pupils, his hurley, GAA jersey, boxing gloves and a pair of inline skates.

There was a ripple of laughter as the priest explained one of the gifts was a tin of spray paint in recognition of how Conor loved to take part in “controlled graffiti”.

However, the sadness of Conor’s death dominated the proceedings, particularly when one of his cousins was overcome with grief and was unable to finish a reading.

In his homily, Fr Carroll said that Conor’s parents, John and Margaret, and sisters, Claire and Amanda, had been comforted by all the happy memories everyone had of Conor and how he had friends “for every day of the week”.

Patrick Whelan, trainer of Conor’s GAA team, spoke on behalf of the family to describe how the events of the past week had devastated their lives.

Conor’s coffin was brought to Glasnevin cemetery for burial.

Meanwhile, gardaí are still investigating the circumstances of Conor’s death and are understood to have interviewed a local man in connection with the hit-and-run incident.