Tears and tributes in warrior’s send-off

AT the end of a short life marked by the warrior spirit, it was only appropriate Dónal Walsh’s passing was sealed with a haka.

Dónal, the anti-suicide campaigner who finally succumbed to cancer last weekend, would have turned 17 in a month’s time and, as he was laid to rest yesterday, all the aspects of his rich but truncated life seemed to be on display.

There were tears and tributes to a young man who sprang to fame in his latter months, yet never wanted all the acclaim.

The sports-mad teenager made such a mark that his home town of Tralee formed one large guard of honour while his own heroes, the men of Munster rugby, put their shoulders under his coffin as he went on his final earthly journey.

It is a rare event when the likes of Ronan O’Gara, Simon Zebo and Donncha O’Callaghan are humbled. But yesterday that honour was theirs.

Once the coffin was lowered into the hearse in the driveway of St John’s Church, a strange silence fell on the throngs who had come to bid Dónal farewell.

The quiet was broken by the haka, bellowed out by Daniel Cournane, born in New Zealand and playing underage for Tralee RFC, his number 14 jersey on his back, a young man trained by Dónal.

As he pierced the silence with the traditional Maori battle cry, a dog was so startled he barked — the only other sound in a town brought to a standstill.

Little wonder Munster’s Doug Howlett came over to Daniel afterwards and gave him a pat on the back. The haka meant Dónal’s funeral ended with defiance and pride, like much of the life he lived.

The day had started when the funeral cortege had travelled slowly from Dónal’s home in Blennerville to St John’s Church with six of his close friends flanking the hearse as it made its way into the centre of Tralee. By the time it reached town the streets were lined with people, including students from CBS secondary and Presentation girls school.

The number of mourners reflected the impact Dónal made, the months in which his serene approach to death was accompanied by a heartfelt plea to his peers to turn away from viewing suicide as an answer to their problems.

That call echoed yesterday in the words of his mother Elma and the chief celebrant, Fr Francis Nolan, who said: “Dónal has showed us how to love.”

Dónal’s father Fionnbar, his mother Elma, his older sister Jema, uncle Brian and others had come into the church in the slipstream of his coffin, which was shortly adorned with symbols from his life.

Fr Nolan said: “An intense sadness penetrated this community and throughout Kerry and all of Ireland.”

He said Dónal had defied predictions that he would not see Christmas or Easter and that when he passed away last Sunday it was on the Feast of the Ascension — “an appropriate day to go” for a person who had spoken on his pronounced religious faith and his belief that he was in his last days viewing the world “from the top of the mountain”.

“It was a special grace and privilege to know him in the past year,” Fr Nolan said, recalling how Dónal had given him a small gift at Christmas.

“So many of us prayed for that miracle for Dónal — that he would play for Munster and travel the world.” Instead, he said, God had provided another miracle — that of Dónal’s example to everyone else and his extraordinary wisdom in the face of the deadline of death. So he had visited Lourdes and Notre Dame in Paris, and received communion every day, a ritual shared with his mother.

Fr Nolan said Dónal’s legacy was threefold: his life as a “living testimony” to life’s journey, his campaigning spirit and his ability to put aside his own pain and concerns to raise money for others.

“Today, I call on young people not to forget Dónal’s words,” Fr Nolan said. “Suicide is not the answer to life’s problems. Life is a precious gift which is irreplaceable.

“There is no such thing as a meaningless moment or a meaningless life. You are our hero and we are truly proud of you.”

Mourners heard from Dónal’s uncle Fr Michael Walsh that, on May 10 last, Dónal had been made an honorary Augustinian, with the leader of that order suitably impressed by a recording Dónal made for Radio Kerry.

Later, the prayers of the faithful were read by first cousins and they too touched upon those suffering illness or enduring turmoil, with an appeal for those people to seek out help when needed.

Dónal’s own words, written recently as an open letter, drew applause from the huge congregation: “I am always called brave, heroic, kind, genuine, honourable and so many other kind compliments, but I have to try and explain to everyone why I seem to reject them. I have never fought for anyone but myself, therefore I cannot be brave or heroic, I’ve only been kind because my religion has taught me so.

“What impact could I ever make on the world if I was fake or how could I ever be honourable if I was not honoured to be here.

“I am me. There is no other way of putting it, little old Dónal Walsh from Tralee; one body, one mind with a few other cobwebs and tales thrown in.”

Then from applause to a standing ovation, this time for Dónal’s mother Elma. She thanked those who had helped care for her son and reflected on the astonishing range of achievements in his life, not least his competitive zeal, such as when he asked his older sister Jema not to learn how to drive before he did. She referenced his generosity through the story of how, as a nine-year-old, he was preparing to eat a bar of chocolate only to meet some cousins, prompting him to buy them a few bars.

Elma Walsh also ensured her son was remembered as a typical teenager, who for all his maturity could still pout and slam doors when he didn’t get his way.

And she said in addition to his stance on suicide: “We should remember that he died from one of the biggest modern-day killers, cancer.” She said if Dónal were still alive he would be joining in her call to the upcoming G8 conference to ensure more resources for cancer research.

“Dónal said he didn’t mind dying early if he had a clean spirit,” she said. “He never had an enemy.”

Then with her voice finally cracking she wished him a peaceful rest in the arms of God and said: “We love you Dónal.”

Among the mourners was the President Higgins’s aide de camp Col Brendan McAndrew.

Dónal’s religious faith was well reflected in a service which drew priests from Cork and Bruff and many points in between.

A picture of a smiling Dónal was placed on his coffin alongside a copy of the Gospel, to be joined by a number of symbols of his life: a crucifix; sports jerseys from Tralee RFC and local GAA team Kerins O’Rahily; a cycling top; drumsticks; and his Crumlin Hospital medal, awarded for his fundraising efforts. Kerry GAA star Paul Galvin placed his pen and pad on his coffin, reflecting Dónal’s love of language. Finally, his local hero award, which the teenager received in March and which really propelled him into the national consciousness. In those last few months, during which Fr Nolan said he “touched the hearts of the nation”, Dónal raised greater awareness of the need for cancer research and also campaigned against suicide, speaking directly to his peers in a language they could understand.

With the haka, Dónal was given a warrior’s send-off in a language few people around here can speak but which everyone can recognise. As the hearse pulled away the underage Tralee players filed in behind, just ahead of their Munster senior counterparts.

Yesterday, probably not for the last time, everyone was following behind Dónal.