Jason Corbett's children say farewell to their father

The children at the centre of an American court custody battle prayed by their father’s body as it lay in repose yesterday in Limerick.

In a poignant private visit, 10-year-old Jack and eight-year-old sister Sarah were brought to Cross’s funeral home at around 2pm for some quiet moments with their late father, Jason Corbett.

The 39-year-old died in a violent domestic incident at the family home in North Carolina.

The children’s legal guardians, Jason’s sister Tracey Lynch and her husband David, along with local parish priest Pat O’Sullivan, accompanied the children.

Fr O’Sullivan spoke with Jack and Sarah as they stood by the mahogany casket and then led them in some short prayers. The Lynchs hugged the children as they sobbed quietly in a farewell to their father.

Some hours later, hundreds queued to sympathise with the Corbett family before the remains were brought to Our Lady Queen of Peace Church in Janesboro, where Mr Corbett had been baptised.

The funeral mass will take place this morning and Fr O’Sullivan will be the chief celebrant.

The burial will take place at Castlemungret cemetery where Mr Corbett will be laid to rest alongside his first wife Mags, the mother of Jack and Sarah. She had died from an asthma attack in 2006.

Mr Corbett died after a domestic incident in his US home on August 2.

In 2007, he had made a will in which he set out his wishes that his sister Tracey Lynch and her husband David should become guardians for his two children in the event of his death.

His second wife, Molly Martens, meanwhile, had moved to Limerick from the US in 2008 to act as au pair to help look after the children.

Ms Martens and Mr Corbett were engaged in 2010 and the couple along, with the children, moved to the US in 2011.

However, Mr Corbett reportedly never settled there and resisted efforts by Ms Martens to become the children’s adopted mother and make them US citizens.

Following his death from a head wound, Ms Martens and her father, Thomas, a retired FBI agent, were the only persons questioned, so far, by police.

Mr Corbett’s body had been brought back to Limerick on August 13.