Funeral for Carlow crash victim hears he always 'had a smile from ear to ear'

The funeral of Micheal Kelly at St Brigid’s Church Hacketstown, Co Carlow. Picture: Stephen Collins/Collins 

Hundreds of mourners stood in the rain to pay their last respects as a hearse carrying the remains of Michael “Mikey” Kelly, who was known for always having “a smile on his face from ear to ear”.

The 25 year-old from An Mainteach, Nurney, Co Carlow, died last Wednesday night when the car in which he was travelling along with Katie Graham, 19, and Daryl Culbert, 21, skidded after heavy rain in the townland of Leagh, 5kms from Carlow town.

The Requiem Mass concelebrated by six priests was led by Fr Martin Smith, a friend and colleague of Mikey’s mother Rita, who works in the South Eastern Technology University. He is also survived by his brother Jordan.

Mr Kelly’s car, a black Lexus was parked outside the Church as a reminder of his love for it.

His oak coffin was carried into St Brigid’s Church by six pall bearers and subsequently adorned by a floral wreath made up of white and cream roses and lilies. His girlfriend Sasha wept openly as she carried a photograph of her late boyfriend.

In his eulogy, his brother said: “If you told me a few years ago that I would be standing up making a speech for my big brother Mike I would have presumed it would have been as best man at his wedding to his lovely girlfriend Sasha. And as much as Mike wouldn’t want me to do it, that’s exactly what he’s going to get.

“Mike was a very soft spoken chap, a cheeky smile and a glint in his eye like his friend Daryl. I would love to describe Mike as a car enthusiast, or fanatic but that wouldn’t do him justice. He really had petrol flowing through his veins. For anyone who had the pleasure of knowing Mike, you would know that he was training to be an electrician, waiting for his last stint in college before he qualified but that was just one side of him.

“Mike’s passions were spending time at home with his family or standing in the shed talking to his friends and with Sasha he managed to combine the two.

“For my point of view I was amazingly blessed as I got to have Mike as a big brother and although we argued and we had our moments, there was never a doubt in my mind he was there for me.”

Symbols of the trainee electrician’s life were brought to the altar by relatives and friends of Mr Kelly. A painting by his girlfriend Sasha symbolising their love for each was brought to the altar, followed by a family photograph of him when he made his First Holy Communion, a racing helmet owned by his late father Michael which he wore at any opportunity he could.

His girlfriend Sasha also recalled to the congregation that Mr Kelly told her: “You are the love of my life and we will always be together until the day I die. I won’t have any person more important than you. I want you to know that you are the person I will getting down on one knee to marry me. I want you to know that I will never stop loving you. I will love you until the day I die.”