Creeslough: Martin McGill 'had a most beautiful soul', funeral hears

Mourners, family and friends walk behind the coffin being carried into the church for the funeral of Martin McGill at St Michael's Church. Picture: Eamonn Farrell/RollingNews.ie

A lone piper led Martin McGill's coffin to his funeral where mementoes of his life brought to the altar included a bottle of Lucozade and a Celtic jersey.

They were brought up as symbols of a life cut short just four days ago — an eternity away now for the small Donegal village of Creeslough. Mr McGill was one of 10 people, aged from five to 59, killed in the tragic explosion in the village on Friday.

Earlier, the funeral of Jessica Gallagher, another victim, heard how she was a “jewel” of her family.

Before the funeral, Mr McGill's mother Mary — to whom he was devoted and cared for — and members of his family left the family home and huddled together for comfort as they followed his hearse to the church, a short distance away.

It was led by a lone piper walking slowly ahead, before turning into Main Street and leading the procession to the church.

His mother was in tears as she was supported on either side during the short walk from her home at St Michael’s Terrace.

Fr John Joe Duffy said there was hope that Martin would now be reunited with his father, who died in February.

“He missed him very much, and his death was overwhelming for Martin,” he said.

“But that he had to care for you, his mother and that was the strength that got him through.

“His strength was in that he was a caring person,” he added.

“And the fact that he was a caring person, a person of kindness and compassion, gave him strength when he had to face bereavement and not very long ago when he had to say goodbye to his dad which was most difficult for him.”

Fr Duffy added: “I always thought that, and I'm not just saying it today, that Martin had a most beautiful soul, a gentle soul, a kind person, and became of that he was a person where you could see the goodness flowing out from him.

Martin McGill

“It was effervescent. It was like when you take a bottle and you give it a shake as a child and make it go all over the place when you open it up.

“He was just so caring. The caring flowed out from him. Each Sunday he would be in this church, he would be down there lighting candles. I think he lit to more candles than I ever lit anyway in my life. I don’t think anyone could break that record.”

The funeral heard that Mr McGill was a familiar sight in Creeslough wearing his Celtic top and carrying a bottle of Lucozade.

Fr Duffy said he was routinely in the shop where he ultimately died, doing messages for other people.

“It was I suppose against the odds that Martin would not have been in the shop, for he went to the shop five times a day or more to bring those errands out for people,” he said.

“He was someone who just loved life and loved the simple things of life. And they reckon he was great at keepy-ups and the cousins couldn’t beat him either and he was very proud of that.”

Despite the almost constant rain during the service, those who could not get into the packed church, stayed outside in a large huddle of rain soaked mourners.

The strains of You'll Never Walk Alone played out as he was carried from the church to his hearse for his final journey to the grave.

— additional reporting from PA