Murder victim laid to rest on his birthday

A funeral took the place of birthday celebrations for murdered Robert Sheehan, who would have turned 22 yesterday.

The murder of the wedding guest outside the Bunratty Castle Hotel last Sunday was the true sign of evil among us, mourners were told yesterday at his funeral Mass.

Mr Sheehan, a father of one, was shot in the head while attending the wedding of his step-brother, Andrew.

Two men arrested in Cork hours after the murder were still being held by gardaí yesterday.

Fr Tony O’Riordan, parish priest of Corpus Christi Moyross, issued a strong condemnation of the murder.

Addressing mourners at Corpus Christi Church, he said: “To you who travelled out to Bunratty and did what you did, I say you were the agents of evil.

“You have deliberately ended a life, a young life of a human being. You have devastated a family and a circle of friends. You have done great evil and the circumstances you chose for your awful and cowardly deed reveals the weakness and ugliness of evil. It belongs nowhere, this evil finds no home in this community, this evil has no longer any permanent place in this world. It wanders around looking for somebody who will put it up, someone who will work its death and destruction.”

Those responsible for the murder of Robert Sheehan, he said, would have to live forever with what they had done.

He said the Sheehan family were absolutely clear they did not want reprisals or retaliations.

“His mother, Majella, said to me on Monday night she wanted no other family to go through what they were going through,” he said.

Such further actions, he said, would disrespect the memory of Robert and disregard and disrespect his family.

Fr O’Riordan also praised the Sheehan family for allowing Robert’s organs to be donated to five recipients.

He said while those involved in the murder must alone bear the responsibility for it, it posed questions for all of us in how we may have contributed to an environment leading the more vulnerable to the evil path they chose.

“To those in power and authority in this country it poses the question: Do you take the lack of work opportunities for young men seriously?

“To those who manage our public housing estates: It poses a question of the adequacy of your care and the quality of the management of the environment in which the people you house live.”

Fr O’Riordan continued: “To those in the churches, the parishes, the religious orders I ask you, how is it as disciples of the Lord we can be so well-invested in the education and the care of middle-class people, but our care and investment in marginalised communities is itself marginal to our concerns.”

He said the murder was carried out on what should have been the joyous celebration of the wedding of Robert’s brother Andy.

“I know Andy and Lyndsey will find the strength to be able to separate the beautiful and joyous moment of your marriage from this dastardly deed and that you will find space in time to celebrate always the anniversary of your wedding,” he said.